The age range associated with the reported DMFT and DMFS values is?

The age range associated with the reported DMFT and DMFS values is?

• A. 0-4
• B. 5-17
• C. 18-24
• D. 25-30

Answer: (B)

DMFT and DMFS measure caries experience in the permanent dentition, so they’re most informative during the period when permanent teeth have erupted and can be reliably assessed in a broad group of children. In public health dentistry, this leads to reporting these indices for school-age populations, typically 5–17 years old, which provides a standardized window for comparison across studies and populations. In younger children (0–4), primary teeth predominate and a different index (dmft) is used, while older adults are usually analyzed with age-specific adult ranges. That’s why the associated age range for DMFT/DMFS values is 5–17 years.

DMFT and DMFS measure caries experience in the permanent dentition, so they’re most informative during the period when permanent teeth have erupted and can be reliably assessed in a broad group of children. In public health dentistry, this leads to reporting these indices for school-age populations, typically 5–17 years old, which provides a standardized window for comparison across studies and populations. In younger children (0–4), primary teeth predominate and a different index (dmft) is used, while older adults are usually analyzed with age-specific adult ranges. That’s why the associated age range for DMFT/DMFS values is 5–17 years.