The DMFT index is traditionally applied to which dentition?

The DMFT index is traditionally applied to which dentition?

• A. Permanent dentition
• B. Primary dentition
• C. Mixed dentition
• D. All dentitions

Answer: (A)

The concept at play is caries experience measurement. DMFT stands for Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth and is used to quantify this experience in the dentition that has fully erupted and persisted into adulthood—the permanent dentition. This is why it’s the traditional application: it provides a stable, long-term measure of caries experience after primary teeth have exfoliated. For primary teeth, the corresponding index is dmft (lowercase, counting Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth in primary dentition). In mixed dentition, you’d typically assess both: DMFT for the permanent teeth and dmft for the primary teeth, rather than applying a single DMFT value to all teeth.

The concept at play is caries experience measurement. DMFT stands for Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth and is used to quantify this experience in the dentition that has fully erupted and persisted into adulthood—the permanent dentition. This is why it’s the traditional application: it provides a stable, long-term measure of caries experience after primary teeth have exfoliated. For primary teeth, the corresponding index is dmft (lowercase, counting Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth in primary dentition). In mixed dentition, you’d typically assess both: DMFT for the permanent teeth and dmft for the primary teeth, rather than applying a single DMFT value to all teeth.