The DMFT Index: Healthy primary teeth by country - Yonge Eglinton Dental (2024)

FAQs

What is the DMFT index for primary teeth? ›

DMF(T)/DMFS is calculated by adding up the number of permanent teeth affected by caries, where D is for decay, M is missing because of caries, and F is filled teeth (T) or surfaces (S). The term dmft was adopted to denote the caries index of deciduous teeth.

The main independent variable was dental caries experience, diagnosed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. The DMFT/dmft score was categorized into 0 = caries free; 1–2 = low; 3-4 = moderate; and ≥ 5 = high experience.

Individual DMFT value is the sum of the number of D (Decayed), M (Missing) due to caries, and F (Filled) teeth in the permanent teeth. The D component includes all teeth with codes 1 or 2.

Principles and rules in recording DMFT:

1- A tooth may have several restorations but it counted as one tooth, F. 2- A tooth may have restoration on one surface and caries on the other, it should be counted as decayed D. 3- No tooth must be counted more than once D, M, F or sound.

The sum of the three figures forms the DMFT-value. For example: DMFT of 4-3-9=16 means that 4 teeth are decayed, 3 teeth are missing and 9 teeth have fillings. It also means that 12 teeth are intact. Note: If a tooth has both a caries lesion and a filling it is calculated as D only.

Teeth Around the World: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

With a DMFT (decayed, missing, or filled teeth) index score of 0.4, Danish citizens have pretty perfect teeth. Germany, Finland, Sweden, and the UK all have scores below 1.0, making them the five countries with the healthiest teeth.

In turn, SII values were 42.55 (38.14 to 46.96) in the US and 18.43 (14.01 to 22.85) in England. Conclusions The oral health of US citizens is not better than the English, and there are consistently wider educational and income oral health inequalities in the US compared with England.

Which countries rank the highest in dental health? The top 5 countries for dental care are Denmark, Germany, Finland, Sweden and the UK. You may be surprised to learn that the U.S comes in at number 9 for dental care!

One limitation is that DMF gives an equal weight to decayed teeth and well-restored teeth. The DMF index has rules that apply to scoring an individual tooth or surface. Each tooth (DMFT) or surface (DMFS) may be counted only once, and decayed, even secondary caries, takes precedence over filled teeth/surfaces.

What is a low DMFT score? ›

A DMFT index of less than 1.2 is judged to be very low, 1.2-2.6 is low, 2.7-4.4 is moderate, and 4.5 or more is high.

A high DMFT index score indicates the development of dental caries and further reflects the deterioration of oral hygiene. The total number of permanent human teeth is 32; thus, the maximum DMFT index is 32, and the minimum value is 0. However, the index varies with geographical and ethnic differences.

The dmft (decayed, missing, and filled primary teeth) and DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth) are some of the most important epidemiological indices in dentistry. Evaluation of these two indicators in the population can help in future planning of healthcare programs to improve oral health status.

The Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) is a valuable index used for determining and monitoring the oral health status in a community.

(a) Dental caries is measured by the DMFT score–a sum of permanent teeth that are decayed (D), missing (M) or filled due to caries (F). A score of 0œ1. 1 is considered very low, 2.8œ4. 4 moderate and 6.6+ very high.

Additionally, 75% of the children exhibited poor oral hygiene, as indicated by the oral hygiene status assessment. The mean deft index score was 2.8, indicating an average dental caries experience among the participants.

The prevalence of dental caries in primary teeth is commonly evaluated using the dmft index.

A high DMFT index score indicates the development of dental caries and further reflects the deterioration of oral hygiene. The total number of permanent human teeth is 32; thus, the maximum DMFT index is 32, and the minimum value is 0.

Children aged 5–10 had an average of 1.5 decayed, missing or filled primary teeth (dmft). The average number of dmft was higher in children aged 7–8 (1.7) than those aged 5–6 (1.3) and 9–10 (1.5). Children aged 6–14 had an average of 0.5 decayed, missing or filled permanent teeth (DMFT).