This investigation was carried out to determine the reasons for extraction of permanent teeth in Jordan. A random sample of 200 Jordanian Dentists (1:10) were asked to record reasons for the extraction of permanent teeth during a two week period. Of the 139 dentists responding, only 97 dentists extracted teeth during the study period. A total of 934 teeth were extracted from 582 patients, of these 33.4 per cent were extracted for periodontal disease, and 27.6 per cent because of caries and its sequelae. The study suggests caries and its consequences affected tooth loss throughout life while the rate of tooth loss due to periodontal disease increases with age.
