Prevalence of prematurely lost primary teeth in 5-10-year-old children in Thamar city, Yemen: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives:The premature loss of primary teeth is a potential risk factor for poor arch length development. Adequate arch length is important to the progression of the permanent teeth. Poor arch length can lead to crowding, ectopic eruption, or impaction of these teeth. This study is designed to assess the prevalence of premature loss of primary teeth in the 5-10-year-old age group.Materials and Methods:The study group included 185 children, that is, 91 boys and 94 girls. The dental examination was conducted by an experienced examiner under sufficient artificial light. Data including patient age and missing teeth were collected. Descriptive statistics were applied for data analysis, and from the results, Chi-square tests were used at a level of significance of 5% (P < 0.05).Results:We observed a 40.54% prevalence of premature loss of primary teeth with no statistically significant difference between genders. The lower left primary second molar was the most commonly absent tooth in the dental arch (13.5%).Conclusion:The status of premature loss of primary teeth was high in the study group. Implementation of efficient educational and preventive programs to promote oral health would help children maintain a healthy primary dentition and eventually prevent the disturbances in the future development of normal occlusion. Early detection and management of the space problems associated with the early loss of primary teeth would help in reducing malocclusion problems.

Reasons for the Extraction of Primary Teeth in Primary School-age Children in Zonguldak, Turkey: A Retrospective Study

“…This result is similar to the result (74.5%) reported by Bani et al (2) in Turkey. Additionally, in previous studies, primary molars were the primary teeth most often extracted (2,3,14,19,20). Primary molars are teeth that erupt 16 months and 29 months after birth, and presence of these teeth in the oral cavity is a very long time.…”

“…Despite these negative results, most parents do not pay attention to the functions of primary teeth and they do not contact their dentists unless their children experience pain or other problems while eating. This can lead to the fact that treatable primary teeth with caries can become untreatable due to delays in referring a dentist; thus, they are extracted by necessity (19,20). In children, one of the most important factors related to tooth extraction is that their parents do not take them to see dentists early enough to receive treatment for primary teeth, because it is the thought that primary teeth do not need treatment since they will be replaced by permanent teeth in the future (19).…”

“…This can lead to the fact that treatable primary teeth with caries can become untreatable due to delays in referring a dentist; thus, they are extracted by necessity (19,20). In children, one of the most important factors related to tooth extraction is that their parents do not take them to see dentists early enough to receive treatment for primary teeth, because it is the thought that primary teeth do not need treatment since they will be replaced by permanent teeth in the future (19). Another factor that impacts tooth extraction in children is the different approaches taken by dentists to treat primary teeth.…”

“…Although extraction of primary teeth is a treatment approach (18), if the necessary practices such as making space maintainer, are not carried out, early extraction of those teeth due to caries may result in other problems, such as decrease of dental arch length, migration of adjacent or opposite teeth, rotation, and crowding of teeth and permanent teeth's remaining impacted without eruption (19). Despite these negative results, most parents do not pay attention to the functions of primary teeth and they do not contact their dentists unless their children experience pain or other problems while eating.…”

“…Mixed dentition, which occurs as the number of erupting teeth increases over time, and the location of primary molars make it more difficult to remove plaque from those teeth. Additionally, fissures and pits present on the chewing surfaces of primary molars provide a suitable environment for Streptoccocus mutans bacteria to adhere to these teeth (19,20). Exfoliation of primary molars generally begins at the age of 9 (24).…”