Dental Infections and Risk for Brain Abscess: A Literature Review

Dental work is commonly accepted as a low-risk procedure but has been associated with serious brain abscesses. Bacteria from the oral cavity can spread to the brain and cause life-threatening infections. In this literature review, the focus was placed on the relevant causative bacteria, surgical procedures, and correlated medical conditions revolving around brain abscesses following dental work. This paper is written from a neurological surgery perspective, using information collected from several case studies, case reviews, and other related published manuscripts. Several risk factors have been identified to predispose oral cavity bacterial infection to cause brain abscess: dental work done in the upper molars; right-to-left shunts in the heart; and poor dental hygiene. If the bacterium of the abscess is correctly identified, there is a greater effectiveness of treatment, but prolonging antibiotic and/or surgical treatment increases morbidity.