Etiology and Demographic Distribution of Odontogenic Abscesses in the Maxillofacial Area in Patients Over 18 Years of Age: A Five-Year Retrospective Study.

Introduction Despite the constant development of medicine and the increasing accessibility to medical specialists, in the first quarter of the 21 century, odontogenic abscesses remain one of the leading causes of emergency hospitalization in maxillofacial surgery clinics. Because of the serious and lethal complications that this type of suppurative infection can lead to if not treated promptly, there is a need for constant updating of the knowledge of its origin, which is precisely what is addressed in this original article. Materials and methods It reports on a retrospective study conducted over a five-year period (2018-2023), during which 705 patients aged 18 years and older with a confirmed diagnosis of odontogenic soft tissue abscess of the head and neck underwent emergency surgery. Results The average age of the patients studied was 41 years, with the oldest being an 82-year-old woman. The proportion of males in the study population was higher - 54.18%. Young patients (18-44 years) were the most affected, with a total of 364 patients (213 males and 151 females), while the proportion of old people (75 years of age and older) was the lowest, with a total of 15 patients, including seven males and eight females. The first molars of both jaws (16, 26, 36 and 46) were the cause of the suppurative bacterial infection in the highest number among our study patients - 208 out of 705 (29.5%). Central incisors (teeth 11, 21, 31 and 41) were the least frequent direct cause of odontogenic infection, accounting for only 17 cases out of 705 (2.41%). Discussion The most logical reason for the decrease in the number of patients with odontogenic abscesses with increasing age is tooth loss in older individuals. Our study confirmed the knowledge that the first mandibular molars are the most common teeth leading to the formation of purulent exudate in the adjacent mandibular soft tissues. However, in contrast to the well-known fact for the maxilla that canines are the most frequent etiologic factor for the occurrence of odontogenic abscesses, we conclude that again the first molars (teeth 16 and 26) outnumber the other teeth of the maxillary dentition, with canines outnumbering only incisors. The teeth of the lower jaw are the cause of more than twice as many exudative infections as those of the upper jaw - the ratio between them is 2.54:1. Conclusions Knowledge of odontogenic abscesses - their demographic distribution, frequency and etiology, their diagnosis and treatment - is the basis for the prediction and treatment outcome of these diseases, mainly affecting young people. Their treatment is both surgical in order to evacuate the suppurative focus, and antibacterial.