Abstract
A number of odontogenic infections are often alleviated in a few days if inflammation is localized in the alveolar part, and appropriate surgical treatments such as incision or drainage as well as antibacterial chemotherapy are performed. However, in some cases, it may become desperately ill due to delay of the initial treatment and develop extremely serious infections including cellulitis or necrotic fasciitis. The causative bacteria for these diseases are oral resident microbiota, and are frequently detected in the case of multiple bacterial infection caused by obligate and facultative anaerobic bacteria. From odontogenic infection, Prevotella sp., Peptostreptococcus sp., and Streptococcus sp. are detected at high rate and are regarded as the three major etiologic agents. The change with time in susceptibility of strains separated from closed abscess of odontogenic infection during 7 years from 2005 to 2011 against various antibacterial agents was investigated. The results showed a decreasing tendency of susceptibility to β-lactam, macrolide, and quinolone agents. In particular, there are many β-lactamase producing strains in the Prevotella sp. Thus, it is necessary to select antibacterial agents stable for β-lactamase in patients with suspected involvement of obligate anaerobic bacteria such as cellulitis around the maxilla or deep neck abscess.
