A dental myth bites the dust – no observable relation between the incidence of dental abscess and the weather and lunar phase: an ecological study

Abstract

BackgroundAnecdotal reports assert a relationship between weather and lunar activity and the odontogenic abscess (OA) incidence, but this relationship has not been validated. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between oral pain caused by OA and a variety of meteorological parameters and cyclic lunar activity.MethodsThe records of all dental emergency patients treated at the AllDent Zahnzentrum Emergency Unit in Munich, Germany during 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with oral pain who were diagnosed with OA and treated surgically (n = 1211) were included in the analysis. The OA incidence was correlated to daily meteorological data, biosynoptic weather analysis, and cyclic lunar activity.ResultsThere was no seasonal variation in the OA incidence. None of the meteorological parameters, lunar phase, or biosynoptic weather class were significantly correlated with the OA incidence, except the mean barometric pressure, which was weakly correlated (rho = -0.204). The OA incidence showed a decreasing trend as barometric pressure increased (p < 0.001). On multiple linear regression, the barometric pressure accounted for approximately 4% of the OA incidence.ConclusionThere is no evidence supporting a correlation between the incidence of odontogenic abscess and the weather and lunar activities.

Disproving the myth of “abscess weather” predisposing to peritonsillitis and peritonsillar abscess

“…Sie traten über das Jahr mit ähnlicher Inzidenz auf, was die Theorie der Entwicklung des Peritonsillarabszesses aus einer akuten Tonsillitis vor allem in den Wintermonaten infrage stellt. In einer weiteren Studie konnte auch keine Korrelation zwischen der Umgebungstemperatur und der Häufigkeit des Auftretens von dentalen Abszessen festgestellt werden [ 28 ].…”

Dependence of odontogenic abscess on meteorological parameters: truth or myth?

“…All patients received antibiotic therapy, with patients on more than one drug. The most frequently used antibiotic was penicillin (728), followed by clindamycin (116), metronidazole (132), and other antibiotics (4). The mean hospitalization time was 5.9 ± 3.9 days.…”

“…Even in 2015, Seemann et al [3] published a report that low barometric pressure increases the number of patients with dental abscesses. In contrast, Ristow et al [4] proclaimed in the same year that "a dental myth finally bites the dust," and that there is no relationship between weather conditions and odontogenic abscesses. Interestingly, the majority of publications on this topic originate from German-speaking countries, possibly reflecting the deep rootedness of this common belief in those particular cultural regions.…”