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. 2015 Dec;49(4):275-84.
doi: 10.15644/asc49/4/2.

Presentation of DMFT/dmft Index in Croatia and Europe

Marijana Radić  1 , Tomislav Benjak  1 , Vlasta Dečković Vukres  1 , Željko Rotim  2 , Irina Filipović Zore  3
Affiliations

Presentation of DMFT/dmft Index in Croatia and Europe

Marijana Radić et al. Acta Stomatol Croat. 2015 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Dental caries is the most common oral disease affecting all age groups and a major cause of tooth loss. Although a decrease in the prevalence of dental caries has been marked across the globe, in many countries it has remained a major oral-health problem.

Aim: The objective of this paper was to show the trends in the DMFT/dmft index ​​in Croatia, compare it with European countries and present further courses of action oriented towards promotion of oral health and decrease in caries prevalence.

Material and methods: The DMFT index databases have been generated based on online database searches for the period from 1985 to 2015.

Results: Croatia is one of European countries with a high DMFT index relating to 12-year old children (4.18). The experience of countries with a low DMFT index has shown that dental caries can be controlled through education and prevention activities, which eventually lead to diminished financial costs, at individual and national level, improving overall health and quality of life.

Conclusion: Tracking and monitoring of oral health i.e. dental caries need to be improved in terms of creation of data base systems on the prevalence of dental caries, determining multi-factorial causes of its occurrence and with respect to the implementation of national oral-health prevention programs.

Keywords: Croatia; DMFT index; Europe; creating databases; dental caries.

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Conflict of interest statement

None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percentage of 6 year-old caries free children
 ącity of Zagreb (10), ˛city of Zagreb (11), łPrimorsko-Goranska County (13), 4city of Rijeka (14)
Figure 2
Figure 2
dmft index in 6 year-old children
 ącity of Zagreb (10), ˛town of Zabok (12), łPrimorsko-Goranska County (13), 4city of Rijeka (14)
Figure 3
Figure 3
DMFT index in 12 year-old children ącity of Zagreb (16), ˛city of Zagreb (17), łtown of Zabok (12), 4Šibensko-Kninska County (18), 5city of Zagreb (19)
Figure 4
Figure 4
Trends in DMFT scores in 12 year-old children in European countries
Figure 5
Figure 5
RR caries according to the countries of the Euro region (Silviera Moreira R. Epidemiology of dental caries in the world, 2012)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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