[Odontogenic soft tissue abscesses in the maxillofacial region. An analysis of 1386 cases from 1957--1976 at the Northwest-German Dental Clinic in Hamburg].

Between 1957 and 1976, 1386 patients with odontogenous abscesses in the area of the mouth, jaw, and face were treated on an in-patient basis at the Hospital for Jaw Surgery (Nordwestdeutschen) in Hamburg. The catamneses of these patients were evaluated noting the localization and frequency of each abscess, the age and sex distribution of the patients, and the possible teeth responsible for the abscess. Any pathogens demonstrated were carefully recorded. The degree of sensitivity and/or resistance of the various groups of pathogens were also included in the study, particularly streptococcus and staphylococcus. Uncritical and undifferentiated administration of antibiotic therapy for pyogenic inflammations in the area of the mouth, jaw, and face is not to be recommended.