MJDF Dental Public Health & Evidence-Based Dentistry

Question 1

What is the DMFT index used to measure at the population level?

Accepted Answer

Caries experience in the permanent dentition — Decayed, Missing (due to caries), Filled Teeth — used to compare populations and monitor trends

Answer

Active caries only

Answer

Periodontal disease burden

Answer

Denture use in populations

Question 2

What is the current WHO target for DMFT at age 12?

Accepted Answer

DMFT ≤1 at age 12 (longstanding target, with newer frameworks using multiple indicators)

Answer

DMFT = 0

Answer

DMFT ≤ 5

Answer

No WHO target exists for children

Question 3

What is the main limitation of the DMFT index in assessing oral health need?

Accepted Answer

It does not distinguish between active and treated disease, overestimates need if many filled teeth, and underestimates need if many extractions occur instead of restoration

Answer

It only records caries in children

Answer

It ignores periodontal disease

Answer

It cannot be used for surveys

Question 4

What is the oral health impact profile (OHIP-14) used to measure?

Accepted Answer

Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) — how oral conditions affect physical, psychological, and social wellbeing

Answer

Caries severity

Answer

Periodontal disease staging

Answer

Number of teeth present

Question 5

What is the purpose of water fluoridation in public health dentistry?

Accepted Answer

Population-level caries prevention — optimal fluoride (0.7–1.0 mg/L in UK) reduces DMFT by approximately 25–30% without significant health risk

Answer

Treatment of existing caries

Answer

Whitening of teeth at the population level

Answer

Prevention of periodontal disease

Question 6

What is the main determinant of oral health inequalities in the UK?

Accepted Answer

Socioeconomic deprivation — lower income groups have higher DMFT, less dental service access, and poorer oral health outcomes

Answer

Genetics alone

Answer

Ethnicity only

Answer

Rural vs. urban location