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ABSTRACT A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Fatima Jinnah Dental College, Karachi to find out the factors responsible for premature loss of de- ciduous molars in children aged three to nine years. All children aged 3 - 9 years visiting the Dental OPD of Fatima Jinnah Dental College Karachi for extraction of deciduous molars from Feb 2011 to Feb 2012 were included in the study. 256 children format the study group. The data were collected on a predesigned Proforma filled by a single operator. Parameters taken into consideration were age, sex, tooth brushing and reasons for extraction.
In this study 176 were male and 80 female. Overall 368 deciduous molars were extracted, 237 deciduous molars were extracted in males and 131 in females. Among the investigated subjects, 17% of children reported no tooth-brushing. Caries was the commonest cause of premature loss of deciduous molars accounted for 96.1% followed by tooth fracture 2.3% and malocclusion 1.6%. The frequency of only one deciduous molar loss was 67.2%. Maximum deciduous molar loss 50.7% was observed in chil- dren aged 8 years. Most commonly extracted tooth was mandibular left first deciduous molar (37.7%).
Results of this study suggested that improper tooth-brushing dental caries and no-treatment of carious deciduous molars were major risk factors in its early loss.
Key Words: Premature loss, deciduous molars.
INTRODUCTION Premature loss is defined as "the loss of a deciduous tooth before the time of its natural exfoliation".1 The two most common causes of premature loss of deciduous teeth are dental caries and trauma.2,3 The premature loss of deciduous teeth may lead to malocclusion of permanent dentition. It can reduce the space required for the eruption of permanent teeth, which may lead to mal-alignment, crowding, and im- paction of the permanent teeth.4 The deciduous molars are more prone to dental car- ies due to presence of pits and fissures on the occlusal surfaces. If the caries is not treated promptly it may lead to extraction of these molars before their normal exfoliation time.
Early loss of deciduous first...