CLINICAL PROFILING OF TOOTH MORTALITY: DESCRIPTIVE CROSSSECTIONAL STUDY

To evaluate the prevalence of tooth loss and the possible etiologic factors associated with it. Settings and Design: Hospital Based Cross-sectional Study Design Methods and Materials: A total of 200 subjects aged between 18 and 60 years were selected, data was collected with the help of a questionnaire, highlighting reasons for missing teeth, followed by a routine dental examination. Statistical analysis: Descriptive Statistics and Chi-square test. Tooth mortality rate was higher in females compared to males with a statistically significant difference. The occurrence of tooth loss was more commonly seen in mandibular arch compared to the maxilla. Moreover, the most commonly lost tooth is a mandibular molar. Both periodontal disease and dental caries stand beside each other as common causes of tooth loss followed by trauma and therapeutic extraction. Conclusion: More than 60% of subjects examined in the study had at least one missing tooth. Though tooth loss has multiple etiologies, the most common cause seems to periodontal disease and dental caries. As dental professionals let us make sincere attempts to put a check to the major etiologic factors of tooth mortality and ensure oral health to all.