Tooth loss related to various factors

Smoking, inadequate oral hygiene and rheumatoid arthritis increase the risk of losing teeth due to periodontal disease. Researchers from the Kuwait University in Jahra found that periodontal disease is a major reason for losing teeth, but there are some factors that appear to increase the risk. These findings may help in educating the public about the factors that increase their risk for losing teeth. To investigate the factors associated with tooth loss due to disease, researchers recorded all extractions performed in 21 general dental practice clinics in Kuwait, over a 30-day period. They evaluated the various reasons for the extractions as well as the patients' age and gender, medical and dental maintenance history. During the month-long study period, 3,694 teeth were extracted from 1,775 patients. Only 30 percent of these patients lost their teeth because of periodontal disease, but these patients tended to lose more teeth (about three teeth each, on an average) as compared to those whose teeth were extracted for other reasons. Fourteen patients had all 28 teeth extracted and of these, 12 were due to periodontal disease. Individuals aged 36 years and older were more than three times as likely to lose a tooth for periodontal reasons than younger individuals. Men were more likely to lose a tooth for periodontal reasons than women. Those who reported past or current smoking were 56 percent more likely to lose a tooth for periodontal reasons than non-smokers. The researchers also found that front teeth were three times more likely to be extracted than the back teeth. Nearly 60 percent of study subjects said they never brushed their teeth or did so irregularly. Study participants who never underwent periodontal maintenance or who never used a toothbrush were also more likely to lose a tooth for periodontal reasons than were their peers. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis had a four-fold increased risk of losing a tooth because of periodontal disease, while those with diabetes mellitus had a nearly three-fold increased risk. High blood pressure was also associated with a higher risk of tooth loss due to periodontal disease. It's worth noting that all of these factors have already been linked to periodontal disease development in the past, but this study also links them with the ultimate outcome of untreated dental diseases, which is tooth loss.