Periodontal Disease as a Primary Cause of Surgical Site Infection

Abstract

Introduction: Fractures of the mandible managed by intraorally placed incisions are prone to surgical site infection. The ongoing management of an infected fracture is complex and costly in terms or morbidity to the patient and fiscally to the service. Smoking, alcohol, fracture complexity and diabetes are frequently cited risk factors, but periodontal disease is rarely mentioned. Following classification of periodontal disease according to the 2018 European Federation of Periodontology/American Academy of Periodontology guidelines periodontal disease is now quantifiable, and can therefore be tested against surgical outcome.