Complications of Severe Odontogenic Infections: A Review

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Odontogenic infections are most commonly caused by dental caries. Localized infections may be treated simply, while severe odontogenic infections that have spread into the spaces of the head and neck require hospital admission and operating room treatment. The majority of severe odontogenic infections are treated routinely, however, there are several complications that may arise. Patient risk factors, diagnostic tools, and clinical features of the complications associated with severe odontogenic infections are described. ABSTRACT: Severe odontogenic infections are routinely treated with little associated morbidity and mortality. Improvements in surgical techniques, antibiotic treatments, and imaging modalities have made associated complications exceedingly rare. A number of complications have been described in the literature including airway obstruction, descending necrotizing mediastinitis, orbital abscess, septic cavernous sinus thrombosis, cerebral abscess, sepsis, necrotizing fasciitis, and Lemierre’s syndrome. The purpose of this article is to discuss the pathophysiology of severe odontogenic infections and the risk factors associated with the development of complications. Given the morbidity and mortality of these conditions, it is important to review the clinical features of each and the diagnostic tools that aid in early recognition.