Health Journalism Glossary

DMFT index

  • Oral Health

In dental epidemiology, the “Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index” measures the number of teeth or tooth surfaces that are decayed, missing or filled in an adult individual. When written in lower case, the dmft index indicates the number of teeth or tooth surfaces that are decayed, missing or filled in a child. Under some protocols, missing teeth in children are disregarded, making it the dft index.

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