[Endodontic treatment and extractions--extent and reasons]

To give input to the ongoing discussion on length of intervals between recalls for reexamination, a comparison of number of extracted teeth etc per 1000 patients per year has been done in Hordaland. Treatment carried out on 22,324 patients aged 0-18 years during a period of 6 months was registered. In 1989 only 1.5 permanent teeth per 1000 patients were extracted because of caries-damage. This is about 2 per cent of the number of the extractions in a similar group in 1967. The number of permanent teeth that needed rootfilling was twice as large 15 years ago. The number of deciduous teeth extracted per 1000 patients is reduced to one fifth in 15 years. Only 10 per cent of extracted permanent teeth were lost because of caries. Out of 44 rootfillings less than one half was performed because of caries. The author doubts that increased intervals between recalls for reexamination will lead to more extractions and/or rootfillings.