Periodontal reasons for tooth extraction in an adult population in Jordan.

This survey studies the reasons for periodontal extraction of permanent teeth in an adult Jordanian population. A random sample of 30 general dental practitioners (GDPs) from a list of 300 GDPs (1:10) was contacted. Of these, the 26 dentists who participated in this study were asked to record teeth extracted and give reasons for extraction. Personal and demographic information and clinical details were obtained from 898 patients aged from 20 to 60 years. A total of 1,098 teeth were extracted during the 3-month study period. The results of this study revealed that dental caries (56.4% overall) was the main reason for tooth extraction, especially in 20-39 year olds. Periodontal disease (23.4% overall) was the next most frequent indication for extraction and became the commonest cause of tooth extraction in patients aged 40 years or more. Other reasons for tooth loss accounted for only 20.2% of the series. Advanced periodontal disease represented by pocketing were the dominant pathology when tooth loss occurred as the result of periodontal disease. As far as the type of tooth was concerned, the most frequently extracted teeth were molars followed by premolars, regardless of whether their loss was the result of the caries or the periodontal disease. This study suggests that caries and its consequences are responsible for more tooth loss in patients less than 40 years of age while extraction because of periodontal problems increases with age, and more commonly related to pocketing.