TOOTH EXTRACTION

FREQUENCY IN ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT

Abstract

Introduction: The extraction of permanent teeth for orthodontic
reasons has been a hot topic of debate in the past and continues to be of interest
even today. There is a considerable controversy concerning extraction as a treatment
adjunct which sometimes reaches to the intensity of sacred beliefs. Objective: The
aim of this study was to report the frequency of tooth extraction and its pattern in
Pakistani orthodontic patients. Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional. Setting: Armed
Forces Institute of Dentistry (AFID), Rawalpindi. Period: 1st July 2012 to 30th June 2014. Material
& Methods: The study sample consisted of 489 patients reporting to the orthodontic
department at AFID. Patients between the age of 7 – 21 years were selected. Patients
being treated with the extraction of permanent teeth (excluding third molars) were
included in this study. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 24. Descriptive statistics
were calculated. Results: A total of 296 patients did not require any extraction. The
remaining 193 patients required and experienced extraction of permanent teeth as
part of their orthodontic treatment plan resulting in an over-all extraction frequency
of 39.5%. Most of the extracted teeth were first premolars especially from the upper
arch. Association of extraction status (extraction vs non-extraction) with gender was
found to be statistically insignificant (p = 0.393). Conclusion: There is a moderate
frequency of extraction in the orthodontic patients with less than half of the total
patients requiring extraction as part of their treatment.