BACKGROUND:
ICD-10 K12.2 (cellulitis and abscess of the mouth) encompasses acute orofacial infections, primarily of odontogenic origin [1]. Although often overlooked in large-scale surveys, these conditions belong to a group of oral disorders that affected 139 million people globally in 2017, posing a critical public health challenge due to the risk of sepsis and airway obstruction [2,3].

OBJECTIVE:
To describe the epidemiological profile of deaths caused by cellulitis and mouth abscess in Brazil between 1996 and 2024.

METHODS:
Quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional study using data from the Mortality Information System (SIM/DATASUS). Analyses were performed using descriptive statistics via SPSS software (v.27). As the study utilized public domain secondary data, it was exempt from ethical committee approval.

RESULTS:
During the study period, there was a 10.1% increase in deaths. Mortality was predominant among males (58.1%), individuals of white race/color (45.8%), single individuals (38.1%), and those with 8 to 11 years of education (22.3%). Regionally, the state of São Paulo accounted for 24.1% of occurrences. Although 91.8% of deaths occurred in a hospital setting and 67.7% received medical assistance, only 13.2% underwent diagnostic tests and 6.1% underwent surgical intervention. In 33.1% of cases, the death was certified by the physician who treated the patient.

CONCLUSIONS:
The high number of deaths contrasts with the low rate of diagnostic testing and surgical procedures, suggesting barriers to timely clinical management or late diagnosis. These data underscore the need to strengthen dental emergency networks and hospital integration to reduce mortality from preventable orofacial infections.