Prevalence of single-tooth-gaps as potential for implants - results from SHIP-0

Abstract

Objectives: For public health planners, the prevalence of single-tooth gaps is important to know in order to estimate costs of health insurance. Today there are no data available which focus on evidence-based studies. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the prevalence of single-tooth loss in a population-based study. Methods: The data of 3989 subjects (aged 20-74 years) were taken from the cross-sectional Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-0) and classified by age, gender, and educational level. A single-tooth gap was determined to be a gap of a missing single-tooth bordered by one or more natural teeth. Results: The tooth most missing in all age-groups was the first molar. There were more single-tooth gaps in the maxilla than in the mandible. The lowest single-tooth loss were found in the mandibular anterior region (<1.1%). There were no significant differences in gender (p>0.05). Among all groups the frequency of single-tooth gaps, subjects with a medium educational level showed the highest frequency and in subjects with high educational level the lowest frequency. The prevalence of having one single-tooth loss depended on educational level and was between 3.8% and 13.1% whereas for subjects with 5 and more single-tooth gaps it was less than 0.5%. The prevalence of one single-tooth gaps among all subjects was 25%, whereas 16% of all subjects had two single-tooth gaps. Conclusion: Due to an increased knowledge of oral hygiene, the use of fluorides, and an increased consciousness of healthy living, the teeth next to single-tooth gaps are healthy or have minimal restorations. But there is a high potential for implants. Therefore the treatment plans involving implants should be considered together with traditional treatments such as FPD's.