Periodontal attachment level of extractions presumably performed for periodontal reasons.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to analyse the residual periodontal attachment in teeth extracted by East German dentists in order to determine a possible 'forceps level'.


METHODS
Out of about 8000 extracted teeth collected from a dental waste disposal company, 500 teeth were randomly selected. After exclusion of wisdom teeth and premolars extracted for orthodontic reasons (intact teeth with attachment > 90%), coronal and root caries, fillings, pulp exposure and incomplete root fillings (based on X-rays) were registered. The periodontal ligament was stained with 1% Fuchsin Red and measured with a light microscope.


RESULTS
For intact teeth (DF = 0, periodontal disease definition I), the mean periodontal attachment (50.5% +/- 16.0) was significantly lower than for teeth with carious defects or fillings (64.7% +/- 18.8. unpaired t-test: p < 0. 00 1). There was a marked increase in frequency of extractions in intact teeth below 70% periodontal attachment and 37% were extracted at attachment levels between 50 and 69%. Teeth with pulpal involvement showed significantly different frequency distributions and mean attachment values (77.9% +/- 17.8) than the remaining teeth (periodontal disease definition II; 55,2% +/- 15.5).


CONCLUSIONS
A considerable number of teeth with no or minor coronal destruction were extracted at an attachment level of 50-70%, regardless of the tooth type. The threshold for 'periodontal' extractions seem to be too low and undifferentiated, which calls for an improvement in knowledge of periodontal diagnosis and treatment.
Splieth
Christian
C
Department of Operative Dentistry, Periodontology and Pediatric Dentistry, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Rotgerberstr. 8, D-17487 Greifswald/Germany. Splieth@uni-griefswald.de
Giesenberg
Jan
J
Fanghanel
Jutta
J
Bernhardt
Olaf
O
Kocher
Thomas
T
D003731:Dental Caries / Q000601:surgery; D003789:Dental Pulp Exposure / Q000601:surgery; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000473:pathology*; D012390:Root Canal Therapy; D017213:Root Caries / Q000601:surgery; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014070:Tooth / Q000473:pathology*; D019237:Tooth Cervix / Q000473:pathology; D014081:Tooth Extraction
D012394:Rosaniline Dyes