Examining the correlation between diabetes and odontogenic infection: A nationwide, retrospective, matched-cohort study in Taiwan

More than 90% of head and neck infections are caused by pathological changes originating in the teeth. When odontogenic infections are not properly treated, infections may spread to distant spaces and cause more serious infections in fascial spaces, ultimately leading to deep neck infections. Clinical experience has indicated that patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) may be more susceptible to facial cellulitis and deep neck infections caused by odontogenic infections. This study used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database (NHIRD) to analyze and examine the correlation between DM and odontogenic infections in patients. To this end, this study analyzed 1 million NHIRD individual datasets from 2005, of which 964,182 individuals had medical treatment records. The insurance database also recorded related factors such as age, sex, duration of hospital stays, season, and whether patients were low income. We also analyzed the correlation between urbanization and the studied diseases. The results indicated that the correlation between facial cellulitis and DM patients was confirmed; facial cellulitis was most likely to occur 2 years after the initial DM diagnosis, with a risk occurrence 1.409 times greater than that of the control group. Facial cellulitis is more likely to occur in patients originating from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds, and female DM patients are more likely to experience this condition. These conclusions may facilitate the establishment of clinical guidelines for preventative education and treatment. Oral prevention and health education for high-risk patients, as well as early-stage surgical intervention and antibiotic usage in early-stage odontogenic infections, can prevent disease progression, improve patient recovery rates, and reduce the use and waste of medical resources.