Trends in extraction of permanent teeth in private dental practices in Kerala state, India.

AIM The aim of the present study was to identify the trends in tooth loss among patients attending four general dental practices in the south Indian State of Kerala. METHODS AND MATERIALS The reasons for extraction of permanent teeth among patients who had attended the four clinics during a one-month period were categorized as follows: (1) dental caries and their sequelae, (2) periodontal disease, (3) orthodontic, (4) impactions, (5) prosthodontic, and (6) other reasons. RESULTS A total of 997 permanent teeth were extracted, of which 445 (44.6 percent) teeth were extracted due to dental caries and their sequelae, 331 (33.2 percent) teeth due to periodontal disease, 111 (11.1 percent) teeth for orthodontic purposes, 25 (2.5 percent) teeth due to impactions, 25 (2.5 percent) teeth for prosthodontic purposes, and 60 (6 percent) teeth for other reasons. CONCLUSION The results of the present study suggest that dental caries and periodontal disease were the two major causes of tooth mortality in this particular patient population. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE This is probably the first study to report on the trends in tooth loss in general practice in India. Similar studies should be conducted in other regions of the country to generate valuable data regarding the oral health patterns of the nation's population.