Why and when older people lose their teeth: A study of public healthcare patients aged 60 years and over in 2007-2015

Objectives This register-based study on public sector patients aged 60 years and over assessed annual age-specific volume of and reasons for tooth extractions as well as changes in these across the period 2007-2015. Background Alongside the rapidly ageing population, the demand for public oral healthcare services is growing. Damaged teeth may induce a long-lasting inflammation burden in old age. Materials and methods Data used the electronic documentation of oral healthcare procedures recorded according to healthcare regulation. The study population consisted of all patients over 60 years of age (n = 216 059) who were treated 2007-2015 in public oral health care available to all citizens of Helsinki, Finland. Data for the 9-year time series included reasons for tooth extractions and were aggregated by patient age into 5-year groups. Statistical analyses included rates and proportions, mean values, correlation coefficients and linear regression modelling. Results Extraction patients (n = 48 623) were more likely in the older age groups: 21.8% in the age group 60-64 and 27.5% in the age group 90+. Mean number of tooth extractions among all patients was 0.4 per patient and 1.7 per extraction patient. Among all tooth extractions (n = 82 677), main reasons were caries 29.5%, apical periodontitis 19.4%, tooth remnant 19.4% and periodontitis 18.0%. Tooth remnant predominated as extraction reason in the oldest age groups, while apical periodontitis displayed an upward trend by calendar year. Conclusion Tooth extractions attributable to caries were common in all old-age groups, tooth remnant extractions were most common in older age groups, and apical periodontitis abounded as extraction reason during 2007-2015.

Automated summary

This register-based study examined the number and reasons for tooth extractions in public sector patients aged 60 years and over, as well as changes in these over the period 2007-2015. The findings showed that caries and apical periodontitis were the main reasons for tooth extractions in elderly patients.