CAUSES OF EXODONTIA AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH AGE IN A TERTIARY CARE DENTAL HOSPITAL

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate causes of tooth extraction and their association with age.

Study Design: Cross sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Oral surgery department of Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry (AFID), a tertiary care dental setup in Rawalpindi, from Nov 2018 to Dec 2018.

Methodology: Study comprised of 500 patients selected by random sampling technique. Only permanent teeth extracted for all necessary and elective reasons were included. Data was analyzed using SPSS 24. Categorical variables such as reason for extraction were presented as frequency and percentages.

Results: Among the 500 patients assessed for the exodontia cases the leading cause of extraction was tooth being grossly carious 237 (47.2%), followed by fractured tooth/broken down roots 91 (18.1%). Study patients ranged from 20-79 years in age, with 61.2% males and 38.8% females. A significant difference was observed between reasons of exodontia and different age groups (p<.001).

Conclusion: Cases of exodontia have not shown considerable decline in the past few years mainly because of the causes observed in the study. It is imperative for the dentists to spread large scale awareness in the society regarding preservation of natural teeth.