Reasons for Tooth Extraction Among Children Aged 5-12 Years in Tetovo.

Introduction; Due to the high Prevalence of oral diseases, the extraction of primary teeth is a common and major concern in developing countries. These teeth are given the least importance as they are believed to fall out automatically, thus leading to serious problems such as crowding and malocclusion. This study aimed to investigate the main reasons for tooth extraction in children aged 5-12 years. Materials and Methods: Patients randomly selected for this retrospective study were identified by analyzing the dental records of children aged 5-12 years receiving dental treatment at the 1st Dental Clinic “Vivadent", Tetovo. A total of 325 patients and their panoramic radiographs were seen. The patient's age and gender, number of extracted teeth, and reasons for extraction were recorded. Results: A total of 325 (27 permanent, 689 primary) extractions were performed in 325 (142 female, 183 male) patients. The reasons for extraction were; caries:512 (72.52%), orthodontics:32 (4.53%), trauma:37 (5.24%, eruption:94 (13.31%), treatment failure:14 (1.98%), ... Conclusions: The results of this study show that caries is the main cause of extraction in children aged 5-12 years old. This result may be due to the lack of oral hygiene habits in children aged 5-12 years old. These findings are crucial for understanding and addressing the high prevalence of tooth extraction in children.