DMFT Index

Klein H, Palmer CE, Knutson JW. Studies on dental caries: I. Dental status and dental needs of elementary school children. Introduced the DMF (decayed, missing, filled) index for permanent teeth — the count of teeth that are decayed, missing due to caries, or restored. Reported for permanent teeth (DMFT) or surfaces (DMFS).

Broadbent JM, Thomson WM. For debate: problems with the DMF index pertinent to dental caries data analysis. Discusses the limitations of DMF — it does not distinguish disease from treatment history and cannot decrease over time.

World Health Organization. Oral Health Surveys: Basic Methods, 5th edition (2013). Standard field method for recording DMFT/DMFS in population surveys; the decayed component represents unmet restorative need.