Introducing the Significant Caries Index together with a proposal for a new global oral health goal for 12-year-olds

Abstract

Aim: To describe a new index, the 'Significant Caries Index' (SiC Index) with the intention of focusing attention on those individuals with the highest caries scores in each population.

Method: Attention is drawn to the skewed distribution of dental caries within a given population, indicating that there are still large groups of individuals who have considerably more caries than the WHO/FDI target level of DMFT 3 by the year 2000. The index is calculated as follows: individuals are sorted according to their DMFT values. The one third of the population with the highest caries score is selected and the mean DMFT for this subgroup is calculated. This value constitutes the SiC Index.

Results: The SiC Index can be easily calculated and used as a measure for future oral health goals.

Conclusion: The SiC Index should be less than 3 DMFT in the 12-year-olds in a given population and it is hoped that this global oral health goal is reached at the latest by the year 2015.