Abstract
Dental care can occur within or outside the formal health-care system. We hypothesized that certain subject characteristics would partly explain one type of dental self-care, non-professional extractions. A representative sample of diverse groups of dentate adults was studied. In-person interviews and clinical examinations were conducted at baseline, 24, 48, and 72 months, with semi-annual telephone interviews in between. Of 699 participants, 291 (42%) reported loss of at least one tooth, of whom 42 (14% of those with tooth loss) reported having lost the tooth at a place other than a health-care facility. Ninety-four percent of non-professionally lost teeth were self-extracted; relatives extracted the remainder. Fifty-eight percent of these teeth were deliberately removed; the remainder came out while subjects were eating or brushing their teeth, or due to injury. Attachment loss and mobility at previous examination were consistent with the occurrence of non-professional extraction. The incidence magnitude was substantive and persistent throughout follow-up.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 860-865 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Journal of Dental Research |
Volume | 81 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2002 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2002, International and American Associations for Dental Research.
Keywords
- incidence
- longitudinal studies
- self-care
- tooth loss
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Dentistry