Tooth loss among Saudi adolescents: social and behavioural risk factors

Radiographic Assessment of Permanent First Molars Among Adults in Riyadh: A Retrospective Study

Introduction The first permanent molars (FPMs) are the first permanent teeth to emerge in the oral cavity, which have an important role in dentition, dental development, and occlusion. FPMs are the most susceptible teeth to caries due to early eruption. There are many adverse consequences related to losing FPMs. Many of the previous studies focused on younger age groups. To the best of our knowledge, there needs to be more newly updated data reported in the literature regarding the status of FPMs in adults in Saudi Arabia. The study aimed to assess the status of permanent first molars among adults in a sample of patients in Riyadh. Methods A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted from the records of patients in the Dental University Hospital, College of Dentistry, King Saud University (KSU), after obtaining ethical approval. Panoramic images of 810 patients ages 18 and above who were seen at KSU, College of Dentistry, were examined to assess the status of FPMs. A panoramic examination was undertaken for various dental reasons in the time between the years 2017 and 2022. Patients were divided into three age groups: 18-30, 31-50, and >50 years. Data were collected in a particular form and analyzed. The prevalence of missing teeth, as well as restored and carious teeth, were recorded. In addition, further information regarding the type of restoration was recorded. Correlations of the findings regarding age, gender, side, and jaw were determined for all cases and were performed using the chi-square test. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results A total of 810 patients' panoramic radiographs were studied. Panoramic male study subjects were 382 (47.2%), and females were 427 (52.8%). Three-hundred thirty-nine (339; 41.9%) of them were of less than 30 years of age, 327 (40.4%) were in the age group of 31-50 years, and the remaining 144 (17.8%) were above 50 years of age. The prevalence of missing first molar teeth was 145 (17.9%) for teeth 16, 147 (18.1%) for teeth 26, 207 (25.5%) for teeth 36, and 188 (23.2%) for teeth 46. No statistically significant association was found between the age groups and gender and the first molar missing teeth (p=0.848 & p=0.159). Nineteen point thirteen percent (19.13%) of patients had only one missing FPM, 12.3% of patients had two, and 6.29% of them had three missing FPM teeth. Five point fifty-five percent (5.55%) of patients had four missing FPMs. A total of 56.8% (242) radiographs in the overall sample did not show any missing teeth. The mandibular FPMs (35.2%) were found missing more frequently than their maxillary counterparts (14.8%), and the left mandibular quadrant showed a slightly higher rate of missing FPM (25.55%). Statistically, a significant association was seen between the number of missing FPM among different age groups, p-value <0.0001. The most restored, carious, and replaced tooth was the mandibular left molar, and tooth-color restoration was the most commonly used restoration. Conclusion A high prevalence rate of missing first permanent molars (FPMs) was found in this study population. This calls for more awareness and preventive measures to preserve such significant teeth, therefore reducing the need for complex procedures. Further prospective studies on a larger population are needed to comprehensively evaluate the status of FPMs.

Prevalence, Predictors, and Reasons for Permanent Tooth Extraction Among High School Students in Saudi Arabia: A National Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Tooth loss is a major dental health concern that has adverse consequences on the remaining dentition and on the patient’s general well-being. This present study aimed to assess predictors and causes of permanent tooth extraction among students.

Methods

This national cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia included a random sample of school students of both genders from grades 10 to 12 (15-18 years of age) and spanned the period of September 2012 to January 2016. Demographic, social, and medical history were recorded. Moreover, a list of possible reasons for tooth extraction was discussed with participants and their parents. The questionnaire was divided into two parts. They first asked for the patient's gender, age, marital status, education level, history of smoking, and the time of the last dental visit. Periodontal and dental examinations were performed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine predictors of tooth loss among the sample.

Results

A total of 2,435 school students were included in the study. Notably, 24% of the students had extractions of at least one permanent tooth. Nearly 27% of female students had a permanent tooth extraction compared with only 21.7% of male students, which was statistically significant. Students who visited dentists regularly had significantly more tooth extractions (39%) than students who did not (20.6%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the significant predictors for permanent tooth extraction were age, regular dental visits, and mean probing depth (PD). Caries (15%) followed by orthodontic treatment (6%) were the main reason for permanent tooth extraction among the sample.

Conclusion

Caries was responsible for most of the tooth loss among the study population. Significant predictors for permanent tooth extraction were age, regular dental visits, and mean probing depth. It follows that there is a need for intensified oral health education and awareness programs in the population with an emphasis on the prevention of dental caries.

Prevalence of Missing First Permanent Molars in a Selected Population in a University Dental Clinic Setting: A Retrospective Radiographic Study

Aim and objective

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of missing first permanent molars (FPMs) in the 7–29-year-old selected population of Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.

Materials and methods

This study retrospectively analyzed 398 panoramic radiographs of patients aged from 7 to 29 years old for missing FPM. Patients were divided into two age-groups: 7–15 and 16–29 years old. Study variables including gender, age, missing FPM, dental arch, and right or left sides of the arch were recorded. The data were statistically analyzed using Chi-square tests.

Results

Of the total study sample, 23.1% of patients had only one missing FPM, 13.3% of patients had two, and 2.8% of them had three missing FPM teeth. No patient had four missing FPM teeth. A total of 60.8% (242) radiographs in the overall sample did not show any missing teeth. The mandibular FPMs (35.2%) were found missing more frequently than their maxillary counterparts (17.4%) and the left mandibular quadrant showed a higher rate of missing FPM (21.9%). No statistically significant association was seen between the missing FPM and the gender or age-group (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

The high prevalence rates of missing FPM in the study population warrants attention. Further prospective studies are needed to comprehensively evaluate the effect of early loss of the FPM on space changes in the arch and subsequent reduction in complex orthodontic treatment needs.

How to cite this article

Almugla YM. Prevalence of Missing First Permanent Molars in a Selected Population in a University Dental Clinic Setting: A Retrospective Radiographic Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(2):269–272.

Awareness to consequences of teeth missing and prosthodontics treatment options among people of Aseer region, Saudi Arabia

Background:

Good teeth play a significant role in keeping a healthy personality and a decent quality of life. Loss of tooth is listed among the top hundred health condition affecting the world population, resulting not only in aesthetic and functional damage but also has negative social impact thus affecting the overall quality of life. It has been estimated to cause 7.6 million disability adjusted life years (DALY). Tooth loss has negative consequences on oral health as it may cause drifting of adjacent teeth or over eruption of opposing teeth, further loss of adjacent tooth and temporomandibular diseases (TMDs).

Methods:

This cross sectional study was performed in the clinics of Aseer Dental Centre and King Khalid University during the period from February 2020 to April 2020. In the current study, we kept a 95% level of confidence, precision error of 5%, and we anticipated the awareness among targeted population to be 85%. The sample size for our study was 200. Patients attending the Prosthodontic department for any dental consultation with a prosthetically unrestored partial edentulous areas in oral cavity were the target population.

Results:

Out of total 200 patients 50% of them were male while 50% of them were female. Mean Age ± S.D = 57.8 ± 22.5. We have observed that demographical variables have significant relationship regarding teeth awareness and treatment.

Conclusion:

Although tooth loss has a high prevalence, the common causes found were dental caries and loosing of teeth. As both these conditions can be prevented, repeated awareness campaign should be carried out in order to increase the awareness regarding oral hygiene..

Impact of severity of tooth loss on oral-health-related quality of life among dental patients

Background

Tooth loss has a negative impact on the person's life so this study was done to assess the impact of tooth loss on oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in adult patients seeking dental care in private university dental clinics using Arabic version of 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire in Saudi Arabia.

Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 152 patients seeking dental care at a private university dental clinics in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. A structured and close-ended OHIP-14 questionnaire was self-administered by the study participants. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney, and Spearman's correlation tests were applied to the data.

Results

Patients with categories 1-5, 6-10, and >10 teeth loss showed a mean OHIP-14 scores of 10.51 ± 10.36, 13.46 ± 10.06, and 21.46 ± 14.41, respectively. A statistically significant difference in OHIP-14 score was observed among different categories of tooth loss (P = 0.005). Participants with >10 teeth loss showed significantly higher OHIP-14 score compared with 1-5 and 6-10 teeth loss categories (P < 0.05). Teeth loss significantly affected the functional limitation (P = 0.000) and social disability (P = 0.044) subscales.

Conclusion

Tooth loss adversely affected the OHRQoL among the dental patients. As the severity of teeth lost increased, the OHIP-14 score also increased with higher oral health impairments.

Comparative study of risk indicators associated with tooth loss among adult population in urban and rural areas of Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Background:

Oral health objectives prescribed by World Health Organization for the year 2020 have expressed that there ought to be an expansion in the quantity of people with functional dentitions (at least 21 common teeth) at ages of 35–44 and 65–74 years.

Aim:

The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence of tooth loss and to evaluate and compare the risk indicators associated with tooth loss among adult population in urban and rural areas of Muradnagar, Ghaziabad.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional study was led among 1200 adults aged 35–74 years in urban and rural areas of Muradnagar, India. Information was assembled by an interview followed by clinical examination (number of missing teeth). Demographic and socioeconomic factors and self-perceived oral health were the independent variables assessed. One-way analysis of variance, post-hoc test (Bonferroni), Chi-square test, Student's t-test, and logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis.

Results:

Low educational status, no dental check-ups, low frequency of brushing, older age, and smoking habit were independent risk factors for tooth loss. The odds of tooth loss in older adults and illiterates were higher; the odds for tooth loss among those who expressed their desire for replacement of missing teeth were 1.3 times lower than their counterparts.

Conclusion:

The experiences gained up showed that tooth loss was very pervasive in Muradnagar populace and the critical hazard indicators identified were age, education, socioeconomic status, and cigarette smoking.

Normative prosthodontic care need: does it impact the daily life of young Saudis with high level of oral diseases? A cross sectional study

BACKGROUND

Assessing the need for prosthodontic care previously included older age groups. There is less information about younger populations who may need this care because of high disease levels. The aim of this study was to assess the normative need for prosthodontic care in a young Saudi population with high oral disease levels, the associated factors and its impact on daily life.

METHODS

A cross sectional study included Saudi adults in the Eastern Province in 2016. A questionnaire was used to assess personal background (confounders), risk factors affecting oral diseases (exposures) and the impact of oral problems on daily life. A clinical examination assessed tooth loss, the presence of prosthodontic appliances, the presence of untreated decay and need for periodontal care. Directed acyclic graphs identified the confounders to be included in regression models with separate outcomes: normative need for prosthodontic care (binary logistic model) and impact on 6 daily life aspects (ordinal regression models).

RESULTS

Complete data were available for 574/ 700 = 82% and 46.7% needed prosthodontic care with 2 lost teeth on average among adults of mean age = 33.2 years. The confounders controlled for the need for prosthodontic care included socioeconomic status (SES), dental visits last year and health insurance. The confounders for the impact on daily life included age and SES. In adjusted models, normative need for prosthodontic care was significantly associated with untreated decay (OR = 2.09, 95% C.I. = 1.37, 3.19). The impact on daily life was not significantly associated with prosthodontic care need but with untreated decay, especially sleeplessness (regression coefficient = 0.53, 95% C.I. = 0.02, 1.04) and dropping daily activities (regression coefficient = 0.79, 95% C.I. = 0.13, 1.46). In addition, the need for periodontal care was associated with food avoidance (regression coefficient = 0.73, 95% C.I. = 0.28, 1.18).

CONCLUSIONS

In Saudi adults in the Eastern Province, there was a considerable normative need for prosthodontic care due to untreated decay. The impact on daily life was related to the underlying oral diseases rather than the need for prosthodontic care itself.

Tooth loss prevalence and risk indicators among 12-year-old schoolchildren from South Brazil

This population-based cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk indicators for tooth loss due to dental caries among 12-year-old schoolchildren from South Brazil. 1,528 out of 1,837 (participation rate = 83.17%) schoolchildren were included. Tooth loss prevalence was 5.81% (95% CI = 3.71-8.98) and 0.08 (95% CI = 0.04-0.12) teeth were missing. Schoolchildren with low socioeconomic status (OR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.23-4.21), who repeated years in school (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.01-2.42), and with gingivitis (OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.33-2.45) were more likely to have missing teeth. Schoolchildren brushing 2 times/day (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.64-0.96) or more (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.33-0.74), and those with dental insurance or private dentists (OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.39-0.93) were less likely to present missing teeth. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Frequency and distribution of early tooth loss and endodontic treatment needs of permanent first molars in a Turkish pediatric population

Objectives:

The objective of this study is to evaluate the frequency and distribution of early tooth loss and endodontic treatment needs of permanent first molars in a Turkish pediatric population.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 7,895 panoramic radiographs taken for routine dental examination at the Department of Oral Maxillofacial Radiology between 2008 and 2012 years were investigated. Two independent specialists evaluated early tooth loss and endodontic treatment needs of permanent first molars using panoramic radiography and patient anamnesis forms. The teeth were classified according to the following data: (a) Missing teeth, (b) teeth requiring extraction, (c) endodontically treated teeth (ETT), (d) teeth requiring endodontic therapy. The data also classified according to four factors: Age group (6-12 and 13-16), gender (boy and girl), jaw (mandible and maxilla) and side (right and left). A Chi-square test was used for statistical analyses.

Results:

A total of 19,488 and 12,092 teeth were evaluated in the child group and adolescent group respectively. All data were higher in adolescents than children (P < 0.001). For gender factor, only ETT was higher in girls than it was in boys (P < 0.001). For the jaw factor, all data were higher (P < 0.001) in mandible than in the maxilla. For the side factor, no statistical difference existed between right and left.

Conclusions:

Early tooth loss and endodontic treatment needs of permanent first molars showed variability according to age groups and jaws. When the results were compared according to the side and gender factors, no statistical difference was found (P > 0.05) except with the data of ETT in gender groups.

Association of total tooth loss with socio-behavioural health indicators in Korean elderly

This study examined the association between total tooth loss, and socio-behavioural factors and general health indicators in elderly Koreans using national databases. Cross-sectional data for this study were from the third Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III), which was conducted among non-institutionalised civilians by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2005. KNHANES III used a stratified, multistage probability sampling design on a representative of total South Korean population, according to geographical areas, age and sex groups. Among them, 1091 subjects aged 65 years and above were identified as potential participants in this study. The dependent variable in this study was the self-reported total tooth loss. The independent variables consisted of the following four categories: demographic information, socio-behavioural factors, psychological factors and general health indicators. The data were weighted to adjust for the sampling complexity, and SPSS version 14 for Windows software was used for data analysis. There were significant differences in total tooth loss odds according to the socio-behavioural backgrounds (education and smoking), psychological conditions (perceived oral health) and general health status (diabetes and body mass index as underweight). This suggests that the total tooth loss is associated with the socio-economic status, health-related behaviour and general health. However, more extensive longitudinal data and research will be needed to better explain the relationship between the total tooth loss and these variables.

Is malnutrition associated with crowding in permanent dentition?

Evidence suggests that energy-protein malnutrition is associated with impaired growth and development of facial bones. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between nutritional status and reduced space for dental eruption (crowding) in permanent dentition. A cross-sectional study with probabilistic sampling design was used. We evaluated 2,060 students aged 12 to 15 years enrolled in schools in the northeast of Brazil. Crowding was defined according to World Health Organization (WHO) as misalignment of teeth due to lack of space for them to erupt in the correct position. Nutritional status was evaluated by means of body mass index and height-for-age, using the WHO's reference curves. Parents and adolescents responded to a questionnaire about demographic, socioeconomic, biological and behavioral characteristics. The associations were estimated by odds ratio (OR) in multivariate logistic regression analysis (alpha = 0.05). Confounding and effect-modification were taken into account. An association between low height-for-age (z-score < -1SD) and crowding was only observed in adolescents with a prolonged history of mouth breathing (OR = 3.1). No association was observed between underweight and crowding. Malnutrition is related to crowding in permanent dentition among mouth-breathing adolescents. Policy actions aimed at reducing low height-for-age and unhealthy oral habits are strongly recommended. However, further studies are needed to increase the consistency of these findings and improve understanding of the subject.