Background: Tooth extractions are one of the most common procedures in oral surgery. The objective of this study was to identify the reasons for tooth extraction in adult patients seeking care at teaching dental clinics.
Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 331 subjects between 18 and 85 (45.37 +/- 13.85) years of age seeking dental care in dental clinics of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, from January 2009 to December, 2009. Data pertaining to age, sex, tooth number and the reason for extraction according to Kay & Blinkhorn were analyzed with non-parametric tests.
Results: 779 extractions were undertaken. The main reason for extraction was dental caries (43.1%), periodontal disease (PD) (27.9%), and prosthetic reasons (21.5%). There was no significant difference across sex for reasons of extraction (p > 0.05). Significant differences (p < 0.001) were found for age (extraction due to periodontal disease increased with age); in patients attending in a single visit vs. patients attending a series of dental appointments (caries reasons were more common in patients having a single appointment vs. PD in those attending a series of appointments); for type of teeth (upper, posterior, and molars were extracted primarily because of caries, while lower, anterior and incisors were more often extracted because of PD).
Conclusions: Dental caries was the most common reason for tooth extraction, followed by periodontal disease. Differences in the reasons for extraction were observed across patient characteristics and type of tooth.