An 18-year-old high school student from Long Island, ME, who died in February after undergoing oral surgery had contracted a flesh-eating bacteria, a coroner's report concluded.
Benjamin LaMontagne died as a result of complications of cervical necrotizing fasciitis, according to a story from Bangor Daily News.
LaMontagne died February 22 at his home. His obituary listed the cause of death as complications from oral surgery, and his parents said they believe it was related to surgery he had February 19 for impacted third molars, according to a Portland Press Herald article.
Neither sheriff's department investigators nor the coroner would identify the oral surgeon who performed the procedure.
Commonly known as flesh-eating bacteria, necrotizing fasciitis typically enters the body through a break in the skin, such as a cut or scrape, and destroys muscle, fat, and skin tissue.
The infection can be caused by several types of bacteria, most commonly group A streptococcus, the Bangor Daily News article stated. Infections from group A strep are usually easily treated, but in some cases they produce toxins that can destroy infected tissue.
An infection control expert for the ADA told Bangor Daily News that such infections are extremely rare. Dentists and oral surgeons usually follow well-established protocols to limit infection, including sterilizing instruments and wearing gloves, masks, and eyewear.
Approximately 650 to 800 cases of necrotizing fasciitis caused by group A strep are reported in the U.S. each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
