Epidemiology

Odontogenic infections secondary to involvement (inflammation) of the dental pulp are prevalent worldwide. An estimated 25% of adults over the age of 60 years have lost all of their teeth.[1] Approximately half of these cases are related to dental caries, with the other half related to periodontal disease. There is no gender or ethnic predominance. A higher incidence has been reported in people of a lower socioeconomic status.[1][2]

In 2018, more than 2 million emergency department visits in the US, which represented 615.5 visits per 100,000 population, involved diagnosis of a dental condition.[3]​​ There is evidence that emergency department attendances for dental problems are increasing in high-income countries.[2][4]

A nationwide emergency department sample (a 20% stratified sample of more than 450 hospitals in 27 US states) showed 302,507 visits attributed to facial cellulitis in 2007 in the US.[5] 

In children, the majority of emergency department visits for nontraumatic dental care are for caries, abscesses, or cellulitis.[6][7][8]

Approximately 1 in 4 older adults are hospitalized after emergency department visits for dental caries, pulpal lesions, periapical abscess, gingival conditions, and cellulitis.[9] 

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