Reasons for the Extraction of Primary Teeth in Primary School-age Children in Zonguldak, Turkey: A Retrospective Study

Objective: Determination of the factors causing the extraction of primary teeth is important for countries to take the necessary precautions while establishing their health policies. This study aimed to evaluate the reasons for the extraction of primary teeth in primary school-age children in Zonguldak, Turkey. Materials and Methods: Age, sex, medical condition, type of tooth extracted, and the reason for the primary teeth extraction were examined retrospectively in the records of patients who applied to Bülent Ecevit University Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pedodontics between 2012 and 2016. As a result of the examination, information about the reasons for the primary teeth extraction, the type of tooth extracted, and each patient’s age and gender were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 2429 primary teeth were extracted from 1812 children (1013 females and 799 males). Caries (51.6%) was the most frequent reason for extraction of primary teeth. Primary molar teeth (73.7%) were the most common type of teeth was extracted. When the distribution of the reasons for extraction was examined based on age groups, the most prominent reason in the 7-, 8-, and 9-year-old age group was tooth caries (p<0.05), whereas physiologic mobility was the most prominent reason in the 10- and 11-year-old age groups (p