title: Effect of Causative Tooth Extraction on Clinical and Biological Parameters of Odontogenic Infection: A Prospective Clinical Trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively compare changes of body temperature, white blood cell count, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein between odontogenic infections in which the responsible tooth was removed and odontogenic infections in which the treatment included no extraction.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample was composed of patients admitted to the authors' maxillofacial unit for odontogenic infection from 2010 through 2013. One hundred seventy-nine patients were categorized into an extraction or a non-extraction group based on whether the causative tooth was non-restorable or restorable, respectively. Non-restorable teeth were extracted at admission of the patient. Otherwise, the treatment protocol, including incision of the involved space in conjunction with intravenous antibiotics, was the same for the 2 groups. The parameters were measured and recorded at admission and 2 days later. Data records were statistically analyzed by comparing the change of the parameters studied between the extraction and non-extraction groups. P values less than .05 were regarded as statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred seventy-nine patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study. The mean age of the patients was 39.1 years (minimum, 14 yr; maximum, 81 yr; standard deviation, 15.4 yr). One hundred nine patients (60.9%) were male, and 70 (39.1%) were female. Differences in the mean decrease of axillary temperature, white blood cell count, fibrinogven, and C-reactive protein between the 2 groups were 0.178, 2,300, 1.01, and 0.64, respectively. All these differences were statistically significant (P =.02, .001, .001, and .001, respectively). Also, the mean hospital stay in the extraction group was 1.05 days shorter than in the non-extraction group, with the difference being statistically significant (P = .006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In odontogenic maxillofacial infections, extraction of the causative tooth is associated with a faster clinical and biological resolution of the infection.
authors.affiliation: Registrar, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, General Hospital of Attica "KAT," Athens, Greece. Electronic address: digoumen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Dimosthenis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Igoumenakis
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, University Clinic Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Nikolaos-Nikitas
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Giannakopoulos
authors.affiliation: Consultant, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, General Hospital of Attica "KAT," Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Parara
authors.affiliation: Consultant, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, General Hospital of Attica "KAT," Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Constantinos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mourouzis
authors.affiliation: Director and Head, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, General Hospital of Attica "KAT," Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rallis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010497:Pericoronitis / Q000601:surgery; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D014082:Tooth Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D014086:Tooth Mobility / Q000601:surgery; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000293:injuries; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein