Edentulism and preventive goals in the treatment of mutilated dentition.

The percentage of edentulous people is expected to decrease in the coming decades as a result of improved oral health, whereas the number of edentulous people will increase as a result of the strong increase in the ageing population. If the preservation of the natural dentition is no longer possible, the remaining teeth of a multilated dentition have to be extracted according to specific principles. Within the framework of the so-called 'preventive-prosthetic-treatment strategy', preservation of the alveolar ridge is the main goal.