Dependence of odontogenic abscess on meteorological parameters: truth or myth?

Abstract

Objectives: It is still a common belief among dental practitioners that odontogenic abscesses are somehow linked to meteorological parameters. We investigated the influence of different meteorological parameters on the type of surgical abscess treatment (intra- versus extraoral incision) as a measure of the weather-dependent severity of infection. Materials and methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed 841 patients who presented at our outpatient clinic with an odontogenic abscess between 2004 and 2013. Results: We found no statistical dependence between intra- versus extraoral abscess incision with regard to temperature, atmospheric pressure, or relative air humidity. The annual distribution of abscesses was even, and the number of abscesses with greater or lesser mean values of each meteorological parameter did not differ significantly. Conclusions: Our results showed no statistical relationship between meteorological parameters and intra- or extraoral abscess incisions. Clinical relevance: Our analysis supports the assumption that the theorized relationship between odontogenic abscesses and meteorological parameters remains a myth.