Tooth Loss: The Nigerian Experience - A Narrative Review

Tooth loss is an irreversible condition and it is an indicator of overall dental health. Tooth loss impairs speech, aesthetics, mastication, and deglutition, affecting an individual's oral health related quality of life. This study aimed to review the pattern of tooth loss in Nigerians over a forty-one-year period.

A literature search for articles on tooth loss and related subjects was performed on databases (NICB PubMed, Medline and Cochrane). Keywords used for the search included "tooth loss" and "Nigeria' as well as partial edentulousness, partial denture, implant and prosthodontics. The articles included were studies published between 1972 and 2019, written in English language and involving human subjects. A self-developed proforma was used to extract clinical and demographic data from the articles.

All the studies assessed were observational. Most studies were conducted in tertiary hospitals. There was a marginal difference in the prevalence of tooth loss between males and females. The mean age of persons presenting in hospitals across Nigeria for extraction of their teeth was identical across several studies. Most of the studies reported the molars as the teeth most frequently lost.

In younger adults, tooth loss was more common in 20-29-year-old subjects, while among the elderly it peaked in the 60-70-year-old group. Dental caries was the predominant cause of tooth loss over the years. Community based studies may provide more accurate information on the extent of tooth loss in Nigerians.