The aim of the present study was to investigate the distribution of periodontally hopeless teeth in patients who had not been treated.

Five hundred nineteen teeth of 163 patients who had visited at the Department of Periodontology, Chonbuk National University Hospital during the period from January 1999 to July 2001 were selected as a periodontally hopeless tooth. Selection criteria were as follows: 1) probing pocket depth more than 8mm, 2) tooth mobility of degree III, 3) radiographic bone loss more than 75%. The contralateral tooth to a hopeless tooth (experimental tooth) was designated as a control tooth. Between the experimental and control tooth, differences in probing pocket depth, tooth mobility and amount of radiographic bone loss were examined as well as correlation.

The results showed that hopeless teeth were most frequently found in the maxillary first molar position and least frequently in the maxillary canine position. Differences between experimental and control teeth were 2mm in probing depth, 1 degree in tooth mobility, and 20% in amount of bone loss (p<0.01). The periodontal conditions between the experimental and control teeth showed correlation in general, however, statistical significances were found in posterior teeth positions.

Within limitations of this study, it can be concluded that local factors may play a role in deterioration of periodontal disease along with symmetrical character of periodontal disease.