Acute Management of Facial Cellulitis Secondary to Third Molar Infection

Abstract

We report a case of a 24-year-old male military personnel who showed up to the Emergency Department of Kem Terendak Armed Forces Hospital in a feverish condition complaining of having problems in eating due to a toothache and difficulty in opening the mouth for the past three days. After a thorough history and physical examination, we came up with a diagnosis of facial cellulitis secondary to infection of the third molar. This case was treated as an emergency due to the involvement of submandibular spaces. The patient was admitted and treated with incision and drainage together with removal of the third molar under general anesthesia. The patient was then discharged after 5 days of hospitalization. We hope sharing this case of infection of the third molar can educate more primary practitioners in its clinical care as poor management of cellulitis can lead to life-threatening conditions.