Prevalence of Partial Edentulism and its Association to Gender

Edentulism (partial or complete) is an indicator of the oral health of a population. Partial edentulism is loss of one or more teeth in one arch due to various reasons like dental caries, periodontitis, trauma, cystic lesions. Partial edentulism not only causes lifestyle compromise but also affects patient's quality of life. Partial edentulism when not addressed leads to compromised occlusion, altered speech, changes in appearance, TMJ problems. The partial edentulism pattern has been observed globally in different populations.The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of partial edentulism based on kennedy's classification, evaluate if Gender has a positive or negative correlation with Partial edentulism. A retrospective evaluation was conducted in the Department of Prosthodontics, Saveetha Dental College by examining the patient record system of the faculty. The study is conducted to find out the prevalence of partial edentulism and its correlation to gender .The study sample consisted of 400 patients who were partially edentulous .Study population consisted of 400 patients of which 220 were males and 180 females. The most prevalent type of partial edentulism is Kennnedy's Class III among both genders.