BMJ  2008;336:1219-1220 (31 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.39549.605602.BE

Analysis

Is there an epidemic of admissions for surgical treatment of dental abscesses in the UK?

¹ Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Bristol, Bristol BS1 2LY , ² Department of Oral and Dental Science, University of Bristol, Bristol BS1 2LY, ³ North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol BS16 1LE

Steven J Thomas and colleagues think that recent changes in dental care provision have led to increased numbers of hospital admissions for dental abscess, and they suggest that access to routine and emergency dental care needs to be reviewed

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Three complicated cases of dental abscess that presented in Bristol over a six month period in 2006 prompted us to investigate the frequency of admission for surgical treatment of dental abscess. Analysis of routine data on hospital admissions indicates that the number of admissions for surgical drainage of dental abscess has increased since the turn of the century.

Summary points Dental sepsis is preventable Dental sepsis can have serious local and systemic consequences Dental abscess may present to both medical and dental practitioners Hospital admissions for drainage of dental abscess have doubled in the past 10 years Access to routine and emergency dental care needs to be reviewed

Three complicated cases of dental abscess

Case 1
In March 2006, a 48 year old woman was referred by her general practitioner to the accident and emergency department with a submandibular swelling, which had been present for a week. She was diagnosed as having a right submandibular abscess secondary to a carious . . . [Full text of this article]

Case 2
Case 3

Admissions for dental abscess

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