Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T15:59:24.595Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

8 - Dental Infection and Its Consequences

from Part II - Clinical Syndromes – Head and Neck

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2013

Bridget Hathaway
Affiliation:
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Jennifer Rubin Grandis
Affiliation:
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Jonas T. Johnson
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
David Schlossberg
Affiliation:
Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia
Get access

Summary

ANATOMY

It is helpful when discussing the manifestations and treatment of odontogenic infections to have an understanding of the fascial spaces surrounding maxillomandibular dentition (Figure 8.1). Although both maxillary and mandibular teeth can become infected, infections of mandibular dentition are more common. Anatomic spaces involved by maxillary infections include the canine and buccal spaces, with the orbit and cavernous sinus less commonly affected. If untreated, odontogenic infections tend to erode through the thinnest, closest cortical plate. The thinner bone in the maxilla is on the labial-buccal side, the palatal cortex being thicker. The canine space is that region between the anterior surface of the maxilla and the levator labii superioris (Figure 8.2). Infection of this fascial space usually results from maxillary canine tooth infection. The buccal space is located between the buccinator muscle and the skin and superficial fascia. Infections of this space usually result from maxillary molar processes with the premolars as the rare culprits. Orbital cellulitis or cavernous sinus thrombosis are unusual but serious manifestations of maxillary infection. Under such circumstances, the infection most likely spreads both by direct extension as well as hematogenously.

In the mandible, the thinnest region is on the lingual aspect around the molars and the buccal aspect anteriorly. The primary mandibular spaces include the submental, sublingual, and submandibular fascial spaces. The submental space is that area between the anterior belly of the digastric muscle, the mylohyoid muscle, and the skin.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×