Prevalence of single-tooth gaps in a population-based study and the potential for dental implants - data from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-0)

Introduction: The aim of this study was to show the prevalence of single-tooth gaps in a population-based study. Material and methods: The data of 3989 subjects (20-74 years of age) were taken from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-0) and classified by age, gender, and level of education. A single-tooth gap was defined as a gap of one tooth missing bordered by one or more natural teeth on either side. Results: The tooth missing most 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 gaps were found in the mandibular anterior region (< 1.1 %). There were no significant differences in gender (p > 0.05). The highest frequency of single-tooth gaps among all groups was found in subjects with a medium level of education and the lowest frequency was found in subjects with a high level of education. One single-tooth gap was found in 25%, whereas 16% of all subjects had 2 single-tooth gaps. The prevalence of having 1 single-tooth gap was between 3.8% and 13.1% whereas it was less than 0.5% for subjects with 5 and more single-tooth gaps. Conclusion: There was a high potential for dental implants to fill single tooth gaps. (c) 2006 European Association for Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery.