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DMFT Index (dmft + index)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Oral status indicators DMFT and FS-T: reflections on index selection

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 3 2001
Annemarie A. Schuller
Oral status in a population has traditionally been described by the DMFT index (decayed, filled, and missing teeth). There seems to be contradicting and confusing evidence in the literature with regard to the usefulness of different indices. Limitations of the DMFT are recognised, and attempts have been made to develop other indices. Two indices, DMFT and FS-T (filled and sound teeth) have been selected for analysis in the present paper. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between DMFT and FS-T in different populations, and to show consequences of choice of index exemplified in analytical analysis. Data stem from the Trøndelag-83 and -94 studies that were follow-up studies of the Norwegian portion of the 1973 International Collaborative Study. Sunflower scatter plots and regression analyses were used to describe the variation in DMFT and FS-T in different populations. DMFT was more suitable for describing variation in populations with low levels of disease than FS-T, while FS-T was more suitable for describing variation in populations with high levels of disease. It may be concluded that both DMFT and FS-T should be presented when describing oral status in a population. However, choice of index depends first of all on the purpose of the investigation. If there are theoretical reasons to prefer one index instead of the other, the superiority of the alternative index in terms of variation must be disregarded. [source]

Relative oral health outcome trends between people inside and outside capital city areas of Australia

AUSTRALIAN DENTAL JOURNAL, Issue 3 2010
LA Crocombe
Abstract Background:, The aim of this study was to evaluate relative change over 17 years in clinical oral health outcomes inside and outside capital city areas of Australia. Methods:, Using data from the National Oral Health Survey of Australia 1987,88 and the National Survey of Adult Oral Health 2004,06, relative trends in clinical oral health outcomes inside and outside capital city areas were measured by age and gender standardized changes in the percentage of edentate people and dentate adults with less than 21 teeth, in mean numbers of decayed, missing and filled teeth, and mean DMFT index. Results:, There were similar reductions inside and outside capital city areas in the percentage of edentate people (capital city 63.7%, outside capital city 60.7%) and dentate people with less than 21 teeth (52.5%, 50.1%), in the mean number of missing teeth (34.3%, 34.5%), filled teeth (0.0%, increase of 5.5%), and mean DMFT index (21.2%, 19.2%). The reduction in mean number of decayed teeth was greater in capital city areas (78.0%) than outside capital city areas (50.0%). Conclusions:, Trends in four of the five clinical oral health outcomes demonstrated improvements in oral health that were of a similar magnitude inside and outside capital city areas of Australia. [source]

Millennium development goals and oral health in cities in southern Brazil

COMMUNITY DENTISTRY AND ORAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 3 2010
Roberto Eduardo Bueno
Bueno RE, Moysés SJ, Moysés ST. Millennium development goals and oral health in cities in southern Brazil. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2010; 38: 197,205. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract,,, Objectives:, To investigate social determinants of oral health, analysing the occurrence of associations between millennium development goals (MDG) indicators and oral health (OH) indicators. Methods:, An ecological study was performed in two distinct phases. In Phase 1, MDG indicators and related covariates were obtained from the demographic census of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, the Ministry of Health database and the 2000 Human Development Atlas, making up the whole set of independent variables. Principal component analysis was carried out for the independent variables showing the correlations among the variables comprising the main components, and generating a synthetic index allowing the performance of the cities to be known with regard to the MDG (MDG index). In Phase 2, the DMFT index (mean number of decay, missing or filled permanent teeth) and the CF index (prevalence of caries-free individuals), in 12 years old were obtained from the epidemiological survey undertaken in 2002,2003, in 49 cities in southern Brazil, and were analysed in relation to the MDG index using Spearman's correlation. Results:, A statistically significant correlation was found for the DMFT and CF indices, respectively, with: the MDG index (R2 = 0.49 and 0.48; P = 0.00); the socioeconomic status of the population (R2 = 0.12 and 0.12; P = 0.02); the socioenvironmental characteristics (R2 = 0.41 and 0.46; P = 0.00). Conclusions:, The MDG synthetic index of the cities analysed and the respective components relating to their socioeconomic and socioenvironmental status demonstrated a positive correlation with OH indicators. As such, intersectoral public policies based on population strategies that act on social determinants of general and oral health need to be integrated so as to impact on the MDG and OH outcomes. [source]

Dental health and oral mutans streptococci in 2,4-year-old Estonian children

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 2 2007
JANA OLAK
Objective., The aim of this study was to assess the dental health and presence of mutans streptococci (MS) in 2,4-year-old Estonian children. Methods., The dental health of 472 2,4-year-old children was examined using a mirror and a penlight in 14 daycare centres representing seven communities around Estonia. The mean (± SD) age of the children was 41.4 ± 4.1 months (n = 222). Plaque samples of 222 children were employed to determine the presence of MS using the Dentocult® SM Strip mutans test. Results., Caries was diagnosed in 42% of the children, and the average (± SD) dmft index was 1.6 ± 2.5, ranging from 1.1 ± 1.2 in Tartu to 2.4 ± 3.1 in Võru. The proportion of caries-free children decreased from 82% in the younger to 63% in the older group (P = 0.001). Among the tested subjects, 58% were colonized with MS, and those with caries were colonized more often than children with no visible caries (80% and 51%, respectively; P = 0.001). Conclusions., The prevalence of dental caries in Estonian 2,4-year-olds is higher than in the Nordic countries, but similar to other Baltic nations. Colonization by MS was associated with dental caries. [source]

Dental Caries Experience and Factors among Preschoolers in Southeastern Mexico: A Brief Communication

JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY, Issue 2 2006
América Segovia-Villanueva MSc
Abstract Objective: To examine the Association between dental caries prevalence and selected variables in preschool children. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 1,303 preschoolers (ages 3,6 years old), and the mothers completed questionnaires. The children were examined by one of three standardized dental examiners. Logistic regression was performed to identify Associations between dental caries and other factors. Results: Mean dmft was 1.54+2.47, with 44.1% of children having dmft>O. Caries prevalence was Associated with older children (OR=1.39); medium (OR=1.66) and low (OR=2.41) socioeconomic levels; mediocre (OR=l.71) and inadequate (OR=2.25) hygiene; negative attitude toward oral health (OR=1.51); and the presence of enamel defects (OR= 1.74). Conclusion: Both overall caries prevalence and dmft index were relatively low. The results of this study substantiate previous reports in the international literature for clinical, behavior, socio-demographic, and socio-economic variables that contribute to dental caries in Mexican children. [source]