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Tooth Loss

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Oral Epidemiology

Part of the book series: Textbooks in Contemporary Dentistry ((TECD))

Abstract

Tooth loss is the final consequence of poor oral health behaviors and oral diseases throughout the life-course. Tooth loss substantially deteriorates quality of life and general health. The burden of tooth loss is greatest in oral conditions, causing a loss of 7.6 million disability-adjusted life years throughout the world. Among 310 diseases and injuries, edentulism and severe tooth loss were the 28th most prevalent condition in 2015. The age-standardized prevalence rate of total tooth loss was 4.1%, affecting 276 million people worldwide. Tooth loss is relatively easy to measure. In addition to clinical dental examination, self-reported questionnaires for tooth loss are widely used, even in non-dental-oriented surveys. There are various proximal, intermediate, and distal factors influencing tooth loss. Caries and periodontal disease are major proximal causes for tooth loss. Health behaviors and health conditions such as diabetes are known to be intermediate risk factors for tooth loss. Socioeconomic status and social environmental factors such as fluoridated water supply, accessibility of dental care, and social capital affect tooth loss as distal factors. Prevention of oral diseases, changes in oral health behaviors, and improvement of the social environment may reduce the risk of tooth loss.

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Further Reading

  • Kassebaum NJ, Bernabe E, Dahiya M, Bhandari B, Murray CJ, Marcenes W. Global burden of severe tooth loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Dent Res. 2014;93(7 suppl):20S–8S.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kassebaum NJ, Smith AGC, Bernabe E, Fleming TD, Reynolds AE, Vos T, Murray CJL, Marcenes W, GBD 2015 Oral Health Collaborators. Global, regional, and national prevalence, incidence, and disability-adjusted life years for oral conditions for 195 countries, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the global burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors. J Dent Res. 2017;96(4):380–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ramos RQ, Bastos JL, Peres MA. Diagnostic validity of self-reported oral health outcomes in population surveys: literature review. Rev Bras Epidemiol. 2013;16(3):716–28.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oral Health Promotion, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan

    Jun Aida

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  1. Jun Aida
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Dental Research Institute, National Dental Centre Singapore, Singapore

    Marco A. Peres

  2. School of Public Health, University of São Paulo Faculty of Public Health, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Jose Leopoldo Ferreira Antunes

  3. Dept. of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK

    Richard G. Watt

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Aida, J. (2021). Tooth Loss. In: Peres, M.A., Antunes, J.L.F., Watt, R.G. (eds) Oral Epidemiology. Textbooks in Contemporary Dentistry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50123-5_13

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