decayed, missing, filled tooth

1. DECAYED – MISSING – FILLED
TEETH INDEX
DMFT INDEX

2. History
• Developed by Henry T. Klein, Carrole E. Palmer, and Knutson J. W. In
1938

3. Definition
• A quantitative expression of a person;s lifetime caries experience in
the permanent teeth.
• To determine the prevalence of coronal caries
• Irreversible index – it measures total lifetime caries experience.

4. Procedure Method
• D – Decayed Teeth
• M – Missing teeth due to caries
• F – teeth that have been previously filled in result of caries
involvement

5. Instruments:
• Mouth Mirror
• Explorer

6. • 28 Permanent Teeth are examined except:
• Third Molars
• Unerupted teeth
• Congenital Missing and Supernumerary Teeth
• Teeth removed for reasons other than dental caries such as orthodontic
treatment or impaction.
• Teeth restored for reasons other than dental caries such as trauma (fracture),
cosmetic purposes or for use as a bridge abutment.
• Primary tooth retained with the permanent successor erupted.

7. Criteria for Identification of Dental Caries are:
• Lesion is clinically visible and obvious
• Explorer tip can penetrate deep into soft yielding material, catches or
resist removal after moderate to firm pressure on insertion.
• There is discoloration or loss of translucency typical of demineralized
or undermined enamel.

8. Principles and Rules in recording DMFT:
• No tooth must be counted more than once.
• Decayed, missing, and filled teeth should be recorded separately.
• When counting the number of decayed teeth, also include those
teeth which have restorations with recurrent decay
• The following should not be counted as missing:
• Unerupted teeth
• Missing teeth due to accident
• Congenitally missing teeth
• Extracted teeth for orthodontic reason

9. • Tooth with several restorations is counted as one tooth
• Deciduous teeth are not included
• A tooth is considered erupted when the occlusal surface or incisal
edge is totally exposed
• A tooth is present even the crown has been destroyed

10. WHO modification of DMF Index (1986)
• All third molars are included
• Temporary restorations are considered as “D”
• Only carious cavities are considered as “D”

11. Examination Method For DMF:
• “D” – DECAYED
• Tooth can be counted only once
• Cannot be counted as decayed and filled.
• “M” – MISSING
• Missing due to decay
• Decayed tooth indicated for extraction
• “F” – FILLED
• Tooth that have been restored and kept in healthy condition

12. Coding Criteria for DMF Index
CODE CRITERIA
E EXCLUDED TOOTH OR TOOTH SPACE
1 SOUND PERMANENT TOOTH
2 FILLED PERMANENT TOOTH
3 DECAYED PERMANENT TOOTH
FOR TOOTH ABSENT:
“0” – MISSING TOOTH – UNERUPTED, IMPACTED, CONGENITALLY MISSING
“X” – EXTRACTED PERMANENT TOOTH

13. Calculations of DMFT Index
• Individual DMFT
• Total each component
• D + M + F = DMF
• Group Average
• Total DMFT for each individual
• AVERAGE DMF = TOTAL DMF
TOTAL NUMBER OF OF THE SUBJECTS EXAMINED

14. Limitations of DMFT Index:
• Not related to the number of teeth at risk
• Can be invalid in older adults
• Can be misleading in children due to the lost of teeth in orthodontic
reasons
• Overestimate caries experience in teeth in which PFS are placed
• Little use in studies of root caries