Evaluation of Oral Health Status Based on the Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index

BACKGROUND: The Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) is a valuable index used for determining and monitoring the oral health status in a community. This study aimed to determine the oral health status and its associated factors based on the DMFT index among people aged 15 to 45 yr old in Kurdistan Province, west of Iran. METHODS: This study was conducted on 2000 people aged 15–40 yr old in Kurdistan, western Iran in 2015. Using a questionnaire, data were collected by four trained dental students. The dependent variable was the DMFT index. The collected data were analyzed using T-test, ANOVA, Pearson statistics, Kendall statistics, and multiple regression. RESULTS: The mean (SD) values of Decayed teeth (DT), Missing teeth (MT), and Filled teeth (FT) indices in the participants were 2.85±1.7, 1.15±1.84, and 3.33±1.7, respectively. The mean (SD) value of total DMFT index was 7.33±3.0. The results of multiple regression showed that the frequency of using dental floss (coefficient= –0.296, P=0.001), socio-economic status (coefficient=–0.199, P=0.001), parental education (coefficient= –0.183, P=0.001), frequency of brushing (coefficient=–0.182, P=0.001), and frequency of the use of mouthwash (coefficient=–0/143, P=0.001) had the highest level of with association with the DMFT index. CONCLUSION: The oral health status of the adult population is alarming and undesirable. The oral and dental health status can be improved via changing behavioral habits (such as brushing, using mouthwashes, and dental floss), promoting socioeconomic status, increasing individual’s and parent's level of education, and enhancing people’s access to health insurance.