DMFS

DMFS Index Decayed Missing Filled Surfaces

Category: Dental Caries

When it is used: It is used to measure past and present total caries experiences of a person or population with permanent dentition by recording the number of affected surfaces.

How it is used: It is based on the surfaces of 28 teeth = 128 surfaces. 16 posterior teeth with 5 surfaces each (facial, Lingual, mesial, distal, and occlusal). 12 anterior teeth with 4 surfaces each (Facial, lingual, mesial, and distal). Exam each tooth, 5 surfaces for the posterior teeth and 4 surfaces for the anterior.

D- Decayed: visible dental caries is present or both dental caries and restorations are present.

M- Missing: A tooth has been extracted because of dental caries or carious, non-restorable and indicated for extraction.

F- Filled: Any permanent or temporary restoration is present or a defective restoration without evidence of dental caries is present.

Total D+M+F=DMFS

*If scoring a group DMFS- total DMFS for each individual then divide the total DMFS by the total number of individual in the group.

Irreversible- measures conditions that can’t be resolved or reversed such as caries and periodontal disease.

Example: An individual presents with dental caries on the mesial ond occlusal surfaces of tooth 30, caries on the mesial surface of tooth 7, a molar and a canine are missing because of dental caries, and there is an amalgam restoration on the mesial, distal, and occlusal surface of tooth 19. D=3 M=9 F=3 S=121

DMFS=15

121/15= 12%

References:

Wilkins, Esther M. Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist. 10th edition. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. 342-344