Severe odontogenic infections during pregnancy and related adverse outcomes. Case report and systematic literature review

Odontogenic infections have the potential to develop into deep-space infections and may cause severe diseases with possible life-threatening complications. Dental infections during pregnancy require special attention in terms of possible complications and treatments due to the potential to affect the lives of two individuals. A case of a 36-year-old pregnant patient with a submandibular abscess caused by an odontogenic infection is reported, followed by a comprehensive systematic review of the literature in order to retrieve information regarding severe odontogenic infections and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. A total of 69 cases were included in the qualitative analysis. The mean age was 27.72 years. Patients were managed with surgery in combination with antibiotics. Nine infectious-related cesarean sections were detected, and preterm birth was associated in 3 cases, low birth weight in 2 cases, death of the fetus in 9 cases (13%), and maternal death in 4 cases (5.8%). The possible compromise of oral health during pregnancy is well known; however, severe odontogenic infections are rarely considered in the literature, and they may be associated with severe and life-threatening complications for both mother and the fetus.