ABSTRACT
Objective: Tooth extraction is a commonly performed procedure in dental clinics. It has been
shown that the reasons for and pattern of tooth extraction vary across geographical
regions. Few reports on the pattern of extraction among a semi-urban populace exist.
To the best of our knowledge, there is no study on the pattern and reasons for tooth
mortality from Sokoto, Northwestern Nigeria, which is a semi-urban region. Materials and Methods: A review of the records of patients that had tooth extraction at our center between
January 2009 and January 2016, was done. Data such as the age, gender, type of tooth
extracted, and reasons for extraction were retrieved and analyzed. Cross tabulations
for age and gender were also made. The level of statistical significance was set at
P < 0.05. Results: A total of 1167 extractions were performed in 984 patients. An age range of 18–107
years with a mean (±standard deviation) of 34.8 (13.3) was observed. Most of the patients
were in the 21–30 years age group accounting for 35.7% of cases. Dental caries and
its sequelae (DCS) (631, 54.1%) were the most common reasons for extraction, followed
by periodontal disease (192, 16.5%). The difference in proportions of reasons for
tooth extraction between the gender was statistically significant (P = 0.02; df = 24). The difference in the reasons for extraction among the age groups
was statistically significant (P < 0.001; df = 132). Conclusion: DCS along with periodontal disease were the major reasons for extractions. These
are largely preventable causes of tooth extraction; therefore, there is a need for
commencement of far-reaching preventative actions.
Key words:
Etiology of tooth extraction - pattern of tooth extraction - Northwestern Nigeria
