Introduction: Oral osteomyelitis is a bacterial infection transmitted through periodontal bone lesions, the incidence and prevalence decreased significantly due to early diagnosis and appropriate use of antibiotic therapy. 1 The clinical picture and course depend on the causative organism, and the strength of the patient's history and physical examination are essential for diagnosis and treatment. 2,3 Treatment is based on the surgical approach and the use of antimicrobials that can terminate the infection early in the course of the disease, so it is important to establish the etiology and specific antimicrobial therapy and to avoid unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. It is necessary to understand the pathogenesis of the disease, because if not diagnosed or treated properly, the infection can be fatal or tend to become chronic. Objective: To inform the dental profession of the knowledge that makes up the state of the art on the diagnosis and timely treatment of osteomyelitis, in order to expedite the comprehensive management of this pathology that, without timely care, can be fatal. Material and methods: Taking as a reference recent reports of the scientific literature on the subject, this bibliographic review of the state of the art on oral osteomyelitis is carried out, using different sources such as: journals, scientific articles, books, archived material and other academic works with scientific basis. This documentary review provides a clear basis on osteomyelitis at present, information that allows clinicians to have a detailed overview of this pathology. Conclusions: osteomyelitis is an infection whose main risk is chronicity with impaired function. Early diagnosis and correct treatment is the basis for ensuring recovery and reducing the number of recurrences. In spite of the fact that its diagnosis may raise doubts, due to the similarity with other entities, it is possible to detect it by gathering all the necessary data.5,6.
