Relative Contribution of Caries and Periodontal Disease in Adult Tooth Loss for an HMO Dental Population

Objectives: This study examined the reasons for tooth loss in an adult population with dental insurance. Methods: Computerized records were used to identify Kaiser Permanente Dental Care patients aged 40–69 years who had an extraction during 1992 (n=1,877). A random sample of 839 dental charts were reviewed. Results: Slightly more than 51 percent of the teeth were extracted for periodontal disease, 35.4 percent for caries, 9.5 percent for a combination of the two, and 3.5 percent for other reasons. When considering patients as the unit of analysis, 58.4 percent of the patients had an extraction for caries, 39.9 percent for periodontal disease, 5.0 percent for both, and 2.6 percent for other reasons. Conclusions: In this population both caries and periodontal disease play a role in tooth loss. For this reason, prevention programs focusing on the prevention of both disease processes should be developed for adults.