Tooth loss during compulsory dental care

The traditional model that teeth are lost due to caries early in life and periodontitis later has been challenged by recent studies. Randomly selected Air Force records were reviewed for the reasons for extractions. Between the ages of 20 to 50, the rate of loss due to caries declined from 0.11 to 0.03, whereas the rate due to periodontitis increased from 0 to 0.34. This study supported the traditional model that tooth loss due to caries decreases with age and that periodontitis is the major cause of loss later in life.