Anatomic sites included:
(1) mouth
(2) tongue
(3) gums
Criteria for the diagnosis of an oral infection – one or more of the following:
(1) pathogens cultured from a purulent material from the oral cavity
(2) abscess or other evidence of an oral infection seen on direct inspection or at surgery
(3) abscess or other evidence of an oral infection seen on histopathologic examination of material removed from the oral cavity
(4) all of the following:
(4a) one or more of the following:
(4a1) abscess
(4a2) ulceration
(4a3) raised white patches on an inflamed oral mucosa
(4a4) plaques on the oral mucosa
(4b) one or more of the following
(4b1) microorganisms seen on Gram stain
(4b2) positive potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation
(4b3) multinucleated giant cells seen in mucosal scrapings
(4b4) physican diagnosis of infection with initiation of therapy
(4b5) serologic evidence of infection (single positive IgM antibody titer or a 4-fold increase in IgG antibody in paired serum samples)
(4c) no other recognized cause
