Three patients with fever and malaise, one of whom also had joint pains, were extensively investigated before their condition was attributed to dental sepsis. Each patient recovered fully after appropriate dental treatment. Dental sepsis should be added to the list of possible causes of pyrexia of undetermined origin, and a routine dental examination should be carried out in each case. (+info)
Oral health of patients scheduled for elective abdominal aortic correction with prosthesis.
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OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the frequency of potential oral foci of infection in patients scheduled for elective abdominal aortic surgery. DESIGN: prospective clinical study. MATERIALS: oral health and dentures of 50 patients (33 males and 17 females, mean age 65 years) were examined before aortic surgery. CHIEF OUTCOME MEASURES: radiographic and clinical examination with special emphasis on identifying acute and chronic oral and ontogenic conditions which may contribute to aortic prosthesis infection. RESULTS: eighty-two per cent of the patients had some oral infection foci. The mean number of remaining teeth in the cohort was 9.3, and 21% of these were potential infectious foci (62% in the patients). Twenty-six per cent of the patients suffered from oral Candida infection. Seventy-four per cent of the patients had total or partial dentures, 45% of which were ill-fitting and needed repair. CONCLUSIONS: oral infectious foci occur frequently in patients needing aortic surgery. Untreated foci may contribute to aortic prosthesis infection. Preoperative oral evaluation and elimination of intraoral infection is recommended for patients scheduled for abdominal aortic repair. (+info)
Mortality associated with odontogenic infection!
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Odontogenic causes are the most common source for spreading maxillo-facial infections. These infections can develop into life threatening events. However a fatal outcome is fortunately rare and is generally associated with an immunocompromised status. This case report highlights a spreading maxillo-facial infection, which resulted in massive haemorrhage from the subclavian vein into the pleural cavity and subsequent death of a young fit male patient. (+info)
A rare complication of tooth abscess--Ludwig's angina and mediastinitis.
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Deep neck infections are a rare but potentially fatal complication of pulpal abscess of the teeth. If an infection can progress rapidly from a toothache to a life-threatening infection, then it is critical that dentists be able to recognize the danger signs and identify the patients who are at risk. This article reviews a case of a seemingly innocuous toothache which rapidly progressed to Ludwig's angina and mediastinitis, and discusses how to recognize and manage these life-threatening infections. (+info)
Is periodontal disease a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD)?
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Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the principal cause of death in most developed countries, despite significant preventive and therapeutic advances. Current epidemiological data imply that recent reductions in the prevalence of this disease are unlikely to be sustained until those at high risk are more precisely targeted. Although dental (especially periodontal) infections have been recently identified as independent risk factors for CAD, current evidence is insufficient to justify treatment of such infections to arrest or reverse CAD or other systemic conditions (e.g., diabetes mellitus, stroke or adverse outcomes of pregnancies). (+info)
Periodontal health and systemic disorders.
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Recent studies in periodontal medicine suggest a mild to moderate association between human periodontal disease and certain systemic disorders such as diabetes mellitus, pneumonia, heart disease and preterm birth. The latest evidence, presented at a symposium entitled Periodontal Health and Systemic Disorders, sponsored by the University of Western Ontario School of Dentistry, showed that indeed such an association is likely. New data suggest that this association is not indicated by traditional clinical signs of periodontal disease but rather by a cluster of host immune and inflammatory mediators. The coming era of periodontal medicine based upon molecular criteria will affect the future of periodontal diagnosis, treatment and professional practice. (+info)
Oral health and respiratory infection.
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The oral cavity has long been considered a potential reservoir for respiratory pathogens. The mechanisms of infection could be aspiration into the lung of oral pathogens capable of causing pneumonia, colonization of dental plaque by respiratory pathogens followed by aspiration, or facilitation by periodontal pathogens of colonization of the upper airway by pulmonary pathogens. Several anaerobic bacteria from the periodontal pocket have been isolated from infected lungs. In elderly patients living in chronic care facilities, the colonization of dental plaque by pulmonary pathogens is frequent. Notably, the overreaction of the inflammatory process that leads to destruction of connective tissue is present in both periodontal disease and emphysema. This overreaction may explain the association between periodontal disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. These findings underline the necessity for improving oral hygiene among patients who are at risk and those living in long-term care institutions. (+info)
Descending necrotising mediastinitis rarely develops and this variety of mediastinitis is a highly lethal disease. A case is reported of descending necrotising mediastinitis caused by an odontogenic infection. The importance is emphasised of prompt diagnosis and aggressive surgical mediastinal drainage for the survival of these patients. Most acute mediastinal infections result from oesophageal perforation, either secondary to oesophagoscopy or tumour erosion. Mediastinitis occasionally develops as descending necrotising mediastinitis originating from the complications of cervical or odontogenic infections. Descending necrotising mediastinitis usually has a fulminant course, leading commonly to sepsis and death. (+info)