Pattern of tooth loss in recipients of free dental treatment at the University Hospital of Amman, Jordan

The aim of this study is to document reasons for tooth loss in disadvantaged Jordanians who seek free dental care at the University Hospital/Dental Clinics. A 4-year (1998-2001) prospective study was undertaken involving 2200 randomly selected patients from this subpopulation. Of their 3069 lost teeth, 46.9% were lost due to caries and its sequel; 18% were lost because of periodontal disease; 8% were lost for a combination of caries and periodontal disease; 19.4% for pre-prosthetic reasons; 4% for orthodontic reasons; 2.8% for eruption problems and 0.7% due to trauma. Logistic regression analysis for reasons of tooth loss in this sector revealed that caries and its sequel was the predominant cause of tooth loss in patients