ODONTOGENIC PRIMARY FACIAL SPACE INFECTIONS — A STUDY

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the age, gender, the culprit tooth involved and the most common primary facial space involved in odontogenic infections.
Materials and Methods:A descriptive cross sectional study was undertaken in Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Khyber College of Dentistry, Peshawar from 1st May 2010 to 30 April 2011. This study was carried out on 155 patients with primary facial space infections of odontogenic origin. Data regarding age, gender, primary facial space involvement, culprit tooth and presenting signs was collected through history, clinical examination and radiographs.
Results: The patients with primary facial infections of odontogenic origin showed a male to female ratio of 1:1.87. The mean age was 33.77±13.45 years. Most of the patients were in the 3rd decade (34.83%) of life. Mandibular second permanent molars were the most common teeth involved in odontogenic infections (37.42%) followed by maxillary first molars (19.35%). The most common primary facial space involved was submandibular space (46.45%) followed by buccal space (30.32%). All of these patients with odontogenic infections of the primary facial spaces presented clinically with pain and swelling.
Conclusion: Odontogenic primary facial space infections were more common in females and in the third decade of life. The most common teeth involved in infections of the primary fascial spaces were permanent second molars. The submandibular space was the most common space involved in odontogenic infections. Pain and swelling were the common presentations of fascial space infections.