Anemic status in patients requiring multiple extractions: A prospective study in rural population in South India

Context (Background): Long-term negligence of dental diseases results in development of chronic dental problems involving multiple teeth which has an impact on general health and nutrition. Aims: Our study aimed to evaluate the correlation between chronic dental conditions requiring multiple extraction and the anemic status of the patients. Settings and Design: This was a prospective study on hematological data obtained from outpatients over 1 year. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 200 patients over a period of 1 year who were divided into Group I (anemic) and Group II (normal) based on Hb values. Statistical Analysis: We used the t test and Chi-square test to find the significance. Results: Eighty-six of the 200 patients (43%) fell into Group I and 114 patients 57% of patients fell into Group II. In Group I the average Hb was 9.9 ± 0.86 g\% for females and 10.5 ± 0.91 g% for males and the mean number of teeth extracted was 4.18± (2.64). 88.3% of patients in Group I underwent extraction of posterior teeth. In Group II the number of teeth extracted was 3.5± (2.14). Approximately 77.1% of patients underwent extraction of posterior teeth. The difference in the number of teeth extracted and the difference in the percentage of patients who had their posterior teeth extracted between Group I and Group II was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.024 and P = 0.0436). Conclusions: Chronic dental diseases involving multiple teeth and impacting the masticatory efficiency of the patient may cause systemic disorders like anemia.