Research Article Oral Health and Care Oral Health Care, 2017 doi: 10.15761/OHC.1000112 Volume 2(1): 1-4 ISSN: 2399-9640 Reasons for tooth extraction in 3-8 year-old Turkish children Mine Koruyucu 1 , Merve Bayram 2 , Nural Bekiroglu 3 and Figen Seymen* 1 1 Istanbul University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pedodontics, Istanbul, Turkey 2 Medipol University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pedodontics, Istanbul, Turkey 3 Marmara University, Medical School, Department of Biostatistics, Istanbul, Turkey Abstract Objective: Extraction of primary or permanent teeth is performed for several reasons, including caries, periodontal disease, orthodontic treatment, traumatic injures, treatment failure, tooth impaction or eruption. Te aim of this study was to investigate the principal reasons for extraction in children aged between 3-8 years. Methods: Te patients selected randomly for this retrospective study were identifed by analyzing dental records of 3-8 year-old children receiving dental treatment at Istanbul Univeristy, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pedodontics. A total of 825 patients and their panoromic radiographs have been viewed. Te patient’s age and gender, df, dfs, DMF, DMFS, number of extracted teeth and the reasons for the extraction were recorded. Results: A total of 1405 (16 permanent, 1389 primary) extractions were performed in 825 (362 female, 463 male) of the patients. Patient’s mean ages 6.5 ± 1.36. Reasons for extractions were; caries:72.8%, orthodontics: 0.2%, trauma: 5.9%, periodontal: 0.2%, eruption: 14.9%, treatment failure:1.7%, other reasons: 4.05%.Te mean df,dfs,DMF,DMFS scores were found respectively 5.41 ± 3.2, 9.45 ± 7.0, 0.52 ± 1.0, 0.68 ± 1.6.Te data were converted to SPSS format, frenquency and Chi- square,T test was used for analysis. Conclusions: Te results of this study indicate that caries is the main reason for extraction in 3-8 year-old children. Tis result may be due to a lack of oral hygiene habits in children aged 3-8. Correspondence to: Figen seymen, Istanbul University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pedodontics 34093, Istanbul/Turkey, Tel: 00902124142020- 30283; Fax: 0090212 5310515; E-mail: fgenseymen@superonline.com Key words: tooth extraction, children, permanent teeth, primary teeth, caries, dental care Received: December 30, 2016; Accepted: January 23, 2017; Published: January 26, 2017 Introduction Extraction of primary or permanent teeth is performed for several reasons, including caries, periodontal disease, orthodontic treatment, traumatic injures, treatment failure, tooth impaction or eruption. Caries is the most common reason for extractions in a majority of the younger age groups. Also periodontal disease is common cause of tooth loss for older patients. Te reasons for extractions among teenagers are usually related to orthodontic treatment plans [1-5]. A better knowledge of the reasons for extractions can be a help to optimize dental care and treatment planning and thereby avoid painful events and the possible development of dental anxiety for children. It is also important to fnd out which treatments had been performed before caries-related extractions, as the aim of restorative treatment is to keep teeth in place during their lifetime of function [2,3]. Several studies have investigated the risk indicators of tooth loss; income, education, oral hygiene practices, smoking and gender are reported factors associated with tooth loss [6]. Tus, controversial fndings could be explained by diferences in the characteristics of the study population, immunological and genetic factors, cultural beliefs, and socioeconomic characteristics, among others. Immunological and genetic reasons are some of the contributory factors that may explain why some populations exposed to the same bacterial etiologic factors did not develop similar pathological conditions [7]. Te aim of this study was to investigate the principal reasons for extraction in Turkish children aged between 3-8 years. Materıals and methods Te patients selected randomly for this retrospective study were identifed by analyzing dental records of 3-8 year-old children receiving dental treatment at Istanbul Univeristy, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pedodontics, Istanbul, Turkey. A total of 825 patients and their panoromic radiographs have been viewed. Te patient’s age and gender, df, dfs, DMF, DMFS, number of extracted teeth and the reasons for the extraction were recorded to anamnesis form by one dentist. Te main reason for each tooth extraction was described using a modifcation of the criteria previously suggested by 8, excluding pre- prosthetic reasons and wisdom teeth. Te reasons were categorized as: Caries related reasons, periodontal reasons, orthodontic reasons, trauma, eruption problems, treatment failure and other reasons. Te instructions included questions about criteria for the assignment of extraction. Te adopted criteria were based on those used by Ainamo et al., Cahen et al., Kay et al., Agerholm [8-11].