Cause of Ludwig angina is?

Ans is `b' i.e., Tooth infection Ludwig's angina is a rapidly spreading bilateral cellulitis that involves the floor of mouth, under the tongue. Floor of mouth is comprised of sublingual space, submandibular space and submental space. Ludwig's angina usually begins in the submandibular space, and then rapidly spreads to involve the sublingual space, usually on bilateral basis. Most common cause is infection of the root of the teeth (Dental infection), especially 2" and 3' mandibular molar. Other causes are mouth injury, mandibular fracture, and submandibular sialadenitis. Since most cases of Ludwig's angina are related to a dental cause, it is not surprising that the bacterial cultures mirror the oral flora. These infections are almost always the result of mixed flora, involving both aerobes and anaerobes. The most commonly repoed aerobes are alpha-hemolytic streptococci, followed by staphylococcus. The anerobic bacteria are peptostreptococcus, Bacteroides, Veillonella and Spirochaeta. ubmandibular space infection may also spread posteriorly to the carotid sheath or retropharyngeal space or both, by crossing the lateral pharyngeal space.