Reasons for tooth extraction in four general dental practices in South Wales

Tooth retention has been one of the main aims of oral care which in turn could have contributed to the social oral health divide. To investigate this issue further, data collected for a group audit was used to study the reasons for tooth extraction for patients attending for routine treatment at four dental practices. The practices served populations in areas with different levels of deprivation in South Wales. In 558 teeth extracted over 417 visits, the reasons for extractions were: caries 59%, periodontal disease 29.1%, pre-prosthetic 1%, wisdom teeth 4.6%, orthodontic 5.5%, trauma 1.2%, patient request 2.4% and 6.2% other reason. The number of extraction visits per day within the group of dental surgeons varied with three practitioners performing more than three extraction visits per day while one practitioner had only 0.51. These reasons did not significantly depend on levels of deprivation. However, significantly more teeth were extracted for caries in the most deprived group in comparison to the least deprived. Therefore, could there be a case for appropriate extractions in the quest for equitable care?