RESPIRATORY-TRACT INFECTIONS AND CONCOMITANT PERICORONITIS OF THE WISDOM TEETH

Objective-To discover if there is an association between respiratory t ract infections and pericoronitis of erupting third molars in young ad ults. Design-Data from male military conscripts' medical records w ere collected over five years and the incidence of respiratory tract infe ction before and after acute pericoronitis (191 cases) and before and after standard (722 cases) and operative (741) extractions compared wi th that in controls (n=703) who had no infections in the third molar r egions. Subjects-14 500 male military conscripts aged 20. Setting-Garr isons in Valkeala and Kouvola, Finland. Results-The incidence of respi ratory tract infection was significantly higher during the two weeks b efore acute pericoronitis was diagnosed compared with that in controls . The highest incidence was observed in the three days before pericoro nitis (odds ratio 6.8; 95% confidence interval 3.0 to 15.0). The incid ence was also increased in the first week after pericoronitis (odds ra tio 3.7; 1.6 to 8.4) and three days before (odds ratio 2.6; 0.9 to 7.5 ) and during the first week after extraction of third molars (odds rat io 2.6; 1.3 to 5.3). Conclusions-Respiratory tract infection may preci pitate and occur concomitantly with acute pericoronitis. Third molar s urgery for pericoronitis, on the other hand, may trigger respiratory t ract infection.