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Provision of extractions by main diagnoses
D S Brennan1, A J Spencer, F S Szuster
1AIHW Dental Statistics and Research Unit, Dental School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005.
International Dental Journal
|May 1, 2001
Summary
Tooth extractions are linked to dental diagnoses like caries and periodontal disease. Age and visit type influence extraction likelihood, with higher odds for emergency visits and specific age groups with infections or gum disease.
Area of Science:
- Dental Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Oral Health Research
Background:
- Tooth extractions are a common dental procedure with various underlying causes.
- Understanding the specific diagnostic reasons for extractions is crucial for public health planning and preventive strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between dental diagnoses (caries, pulpal/periapical infection, periodontal disease) and tooth extractions.
- To control for confounding factors including visit type, patient insurance status, and age.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of data from the 1993-94 wave of a longitudinal study.
- Data collected from a random sample of Australian private general dental practitioners.
- Practitioners logged patient services over typical clinical days to determine the percentage of patients receiving extractions.
Main Results:
- Overall, 7.05% of patients received extractions. Highest percentages were for patients with caries (7.90%), periodontal disease (17.45%), and pulpal/periapical infection (17.54%).
- Extraction odds were higher during emergency visits compared to non-emergency visits for insured patients.
- Increased odds of extraction were observed in specific age groups for caries, pulpal/periapical infection, and periodontal disease, with the highest odds for older adults with periodontal disease.
Conclusions:
- Age-specific factors influence the reasons for tooth extractions.
- Pulpal/periapical infection and periodontal disease showed the highest effect sizes for extractions.
- Despite lower effect sizes, caries remains a significant cause of tooth loss due to its high prevalence.