title: Patients' attitude towards anterior teeth extraction an prosthetic replacement at the UPTH Dental Center, Port Harcourt.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the attitude of patients towards anterior teeth extraction and prosthetic replacement of same at the Dental center of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of the data of patients who presented for anterior teeth extraction and prosthetic replacement or anterior teeth extraction only over a two-year period was done using the records of the oral surgery and prosthetic clinics of UPTH Dental centre. Demographic and clinical information were retrieved and analyzed using the SPSS version 15.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-two patients comprising 58 males(63%) and 34 females (37%), giving a male to female ratio of 1.7:1, were involved. The age range was 6 to 86 years with a median age of 34.5 years. Forty- three patients (46.7%) had both extraction and replacement within the study period while 49 patients (53.3%) had extraction without replacement. Trauma was the major cause of anterior tooth loss, especially among males and young individuals. Plastic removable partial denture was the main type of replacement offered. Fifty percent of the females (17/34) had replacement compared to 44.8% of the males (26/58). Among those who had both extraction and replacement, majority (74.4%, 32/43) requested for replacement within a month post extraction. Also, 86.2%t of the patients below 40 years either had immediate dentures or replacement within a month compared to 50% of those above 40 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the patients, surprisingly, tolerated anterior edentulousness. However, it appears that anterior edentulousness was more abhorent to female patients and younger individuals.
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Osagbemiro
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Akadiri
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Arigbede
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D015921:Dental Implants; D017266:Dental Prosthesis / Q000523:psychology*; D003832:Denture, Partial, Removable; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants