Pattern of tooth mortality in patients attending a tertiary dental care center: A descriptive study

Abstract

Background: Tooth loss is a cumulative index of oral health impairment and an integral part of the decayed, missing, and filled teeth index used to assess oral health status. In spite of the increased awareness of oral hygiene and preventive dental treatments, tooth extraction remains to be the most common procedure in the Indian population following a toothache. The study aims to assess certain demographic characteristics and patterns of tooth loss among patients who underwent extraction from the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery in a dental tertiary care center in Kerala, India. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted during 2017–2021 time period in all the patients who underwent permanent teeth extraction from the oral and maxillofacial surgery department. Results: A total of 9673 patients underwent tooth extraction during the study period. Among them, 68.4% were adults (18–59 years) and 27.7% were senior adults (above 60 years). More than half of the patients underwent single-tooth extraction (55%), two (24%), and three in 10%. The most frequent tooth extraction was the first molar (30%), followed by the third molar (27%) and second molar (26%). Among children, the most common pattern of tooth extraction was first molars both in the maxilla and mandible (25%). In adolescent age groups, premolars were extracted frequently along with first molars. In adults and senior adults, the premolar and molar extractions were performed commonly. Conclusion: The mean tooth loss for the cohort was 1.7 ± 1.1 (range 1–12) indicative of good dental hygiene practice. The trends noticed in teeth extraction pattern provide baseline data about the access and availability of dental care in that region.