Prevalence of Periapical Abscess Reported in Patients Visiting a Private Dental Hospital - An Institutional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Periapical abscess is the most common type of dental abscess which usually originates as microbial infection that deposits in the soft, commonly decayed or decaying pulp of the tooth. Periapical abscess is most commonly associated with non vital teeth. When it is not treated, it may affect the surrounding tooth structures thereby leading to the extraction of the affected tooth. Diagnosis of periapical abscess is done by clinical evaluation and radiographic interpretation.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to analyse the prevalence of periapical abscess in patients visiting a private dental hospital.

Methods: This study is a single centered retrospective study in which the data of patients presented with periapical abscess was collected from a private dental college and hospital in Chennai, India. Patient details were collected from the hospital management system and a total of 108 samples were obtained. The data was tabulated using Excel and then statistically analysed using the latest version of SPSS software.

Results: Among the patients who presented with periapical abscess, patients under the age group of 31 to 40 years old had the most incidence. Patients in the age group of 31 to 40 years old and 41 to 50 years old most commonly had periapical abscess in the upper arch. Likewise, patients under the age group 21 to 30 years old had periapical abscess predominantly in the lower arch. It is also found that females were more likely to have periapical abscess in the upper arch as well as the lower arch. The p value of the correlation graph is found to be  0.238 (>0.05) which is statistically insignificant. Zerodol was the most commonly prescribed analgesic in patients treated for periapical abscess.

Conclusions: Within the limitations of the study, the incidence of periapical abscess is found to be more common in females than in males. The patients belonging to the age group of 31 to 40 years old are more frequently affected with periapical abscess. Proper awareness about periapical abscess will help in the early diagnosis and treatment of the same.