A rare case of odontogenic bilateral submandibular abscess

Odontogenic abscesses are among the most common diseases of the oral and maxillofacial region with potentially severe complications such as airway obstruction or spread in the mediastinum if not correctly and promptly diagnosed and treated. Caries and periodontitis are universally recognized as the most common causes, followed by postextraction conditions, pericoronitis related to the third molar inclusion, and infected dental cysts. Herein we report a case of a patient presenting with simultaneous bilateral submandibular odontogenic abscess in which a collaboration between otolaryngologists, dentists, infectivologists and radiologists allowed early medical therapy and immediate surgical treatment that prevented further complications. Surgery, performed by both oral surgeons and otolaryngology specialists, provided a thorough cleansing of the abscess cavities using a ribbon gauze soaked in peroxide that helped scrubbing the pathway through the ipsilateral surgical wounds in order to remove the infection. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case of a simultaneous bilateral submandibular odontogenic abscess reported in the literature.