Oral and maxillofacial space infection is one of the most common diseases in maxillofacial surgery.The infection often affects the multiple potential spaces of the maxillofacial region.Concerning the spaces are connected to each other，when the infection cannot be effectively controlled，it will quickly spread to neighboring important organs and cause serious complications，such as airway obstruction，mediastinitis，necrotizing fasciitis，cavernous sinus thrombosis and even shock or death.With the development of social aging，the prevalence of systemic diseases and the incidence of maxillofacial space infection has been increasing.Considering its acute onset，rapid progress and more serious complications，it is an arduous challenge to correctly diagnose and treat oral and maxillofacial space infection for surgeons.This article reviews the occurrence and development factors of oral and maxillofacial space infection，the distribution of pathogens bacteria，the bacterial drug resistance and the current treatment progress.