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Updated: May 28, 2026
09:35
Isolating Central Nervous System Tissues and Associated Meninges for the Downstream Analysis of Immune cells
Published on: May 19, 2020
Do dental infections really cause central nervous system infections?
Stewart K Lazow1, Steven R Izzo, David Vazquez
1Department of Dental/Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kings County Hospital Center-SUNY Brooklyn, 451 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, USA. skloms@aol.com
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics of North America
|October 11, 2011
Summary
Dental infections are rarely the primary cause of central nervous system (CNS) infections, despite anecdotal reports. This study examines the evidence linking dental issues to conditions like brain abscess and septic cavernous sinus thrombosis.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Dentistry
Background:
- Central nervous system (CNS) infections affect approximately 1 in 100,000 individuals in the post-antibiotic era.
- Anecdotal reports suggest a dental origin for some CNS infections, but the incidence is often cited as only 1% to 2%.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate the causal relationship between dental infections and CNS infections.
- To investigate whether conditions like septic cavernous sinus thrombosis and brain abscess are truly of dental etiology or a diagnosis of exclusion.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on CNS infections with suspected dental origins.
- Analysis of case reports and epidemiological data.
- Evaluation of diagnostic criteria for CNS infections linked to dental sources.
Main Results:
- The incidence of CNS infections definitively caused by dental infections is low, contrary to some anecdotal evidence.
- Septic cavernous sinus thrombosis and brain abscess are complex conditions, and their dental etiology requires robust evidence, not just exclusion.
Conclusions:
- While dental infections can occasionally lead to CNS infections, they are not a common primary cause.
- A diagnosis of CNS infection of dental origin should be evidence-based, moving beyond a diagnosis of exclusion.
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