title: Periodontal attachment level of extractions presumably performed for periodontal reasons.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Operative Dentistry, Periodontology and Pediatric Dentistry, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Rotgerberstr. 8, D-17487 Greifswald/Germany. Splieth@uni-griefswald.de
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Splieth
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Giesenberg
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fanghanel
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bernhardt
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kocher
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D012394:Rosaniline Dyes