Tooth extraction in middle-aged and older adults: indications and medical conditions among patients in Nigeria

Tooth extraction is a common minor oral surgical procedure that is performed frequently by dental surgeons worldwide. It is carried out in all age groups and has been studied extensively in adults. However, tooth extractions in the middle-aged and older population could be complicated by both local and systemic conditions. This was a prospective study of patients aged >50 years who presented to a teaching hospital in Nigeria between January 2018 and December 2022 for single tooth extraction and who were medically fit for surgery. A detailed dental and medical history was taken for each patient, intraoral and extraoral examinations were performed, and investigations were carried out to determine the diagnosis. Data were analysed with SPSS® Statistics. A total of 311 patients met the inclusion criteria during the study period. Their mean age was 65 years (standard deviation: 9.7 years, range: 50–104 years). Almost two-thirds of the patients were women (n=195, 63%) and the male-to-female ratio was 1:1.7. Most of the male patients (n=44, 38%) were aged >70 years whereas most of the female patients (n=79, 41%) were aged 61–70 years. Thirteen different indications for tooth extraction were noted among the patients. The most common systemic conditions were hypertension (n=37, 40%), peptic ulcer disease (n=34, 37%) and diabetes mellitus (n=9, 10%). Systemic conditions among this patient cohort appear to be a common finding. Dental caries and its complications were the most common reason why the patients in our study presented for tooth extraction.