[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Dentistry](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/) › [The oral and dental exam](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/areas/exam/) › Dental charting and the DMFT index

# Dental charting and the DMFT index

- Examination

The dental chart (odontogram) maps every tooth and surface. The DMFT index counts decayed, missing and filled teeth to measure caries in a person or a country.

Updated Nov 12, 2026

## Key points

- DMFT = decayed + missing for caries + filled permanent teeth (COP-D in Colombia).
- Surfaces: occlusal, mesial, distal, buccal, lingual or palatal.
- A high D means untreated caries.

## What it is

An odontogram is a diagram of all the teeth on which findings are recorded with the FDI number and the surface: occlusal (biting), mesial (towards the midline), distal (away from it), buccal or labial (cheek or lip side) and lingual or palatal (tongue or palate side). Caries experience is summarised with the DMFT index: the number of permanent teeth that are Decayed, Missing because of caries, or Filled (dmft in lower case for primary teeth). In Colombia it is written COP-D (cariados, obturados, perdidos). It is the standard measure in national oral health surveys and the WHO.

## Findings and interpretation

- DMFT ranges from 0 to 32 (0 to 28 if third molars are excluded); dmft for primary teeth ranges from 0 to 20.
- A tooth counts once, even if it has several cavities or fillings.
- Teeth missing for reasons other than caries (orthodontics, trauma) are not counted as M.
- DMFT at twelve years is the WHO's classic indicator to compare countries.
- A high D component means untreated disease; a high F component means access to treatment.

## How it is done

- Dry and light each tooth; examine in a fixed order, quadrant 1 to 4.
- Record each tooth as sound, decayed, filled, filled with new decay, missing for caries, missing for another reason, or unerupted.
- Mark the surface involved (O, M, D, B or V, L or P).
- Note restorations, crowns, root fillings, implants and dentures.
- Add the D, M and F counts to obtain the DMFT for that person.

## Common mistakes

- Confusing mesial and distal, or the patient's right and left, leads to treating the wrong tooth or surface.
- Counting a tooth lost to trauma as caries-related inflates the index.
- DMFT shows past caries; it does not show current activity or risk.

## Next step / Initial management

- Use the odontogram to plan referral: teeth with active decay, pain or abscess go first.
- Children and pregnant women with any decayed tooth: refer to dental care within the routine pathway.
- Pain, swelling or a broken tooth found on charting: refer to the dentist promptly.

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## What does the DMFT index count?

The number of permanent teeth that are decayed, missing because of caries, or filled.

## Which tooth surface faces the midline?

The mesial surface.

## Is a tooth extracted for orthodontic reasons counted as M in DMFT?

No; only teeth missing because of caries are counted.

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## Connections

## Related 3

- [Primary and permanent dentition and FDI tooth numbering](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/primary-and-permanent-dentition-and-fdi-tooth-numbering/)
- [Classifying caries: by site, depth and activity](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/classifying-caries-by-site-depth-and-activity/)
- [Oral health in Colombia: the routine care pathway](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/oral-health-in-colombia-the-routine-care-pathway/)

## Related conditions 1

- [Dental caries](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/dental-caries/)

[← All of dentistry](https://durgical.com/en/dentistry/)

Educational content; it does not replace assessment by a dentist or doctor and is not a clinical instruction. For facial or neck swelling with difficulty swallowing or breathing, a knocked-out tooth or bleeding that will not stop, go to an emergency department at once.

Sources: [Dental Caries Classification Systems](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK597361/) (StatPearls Publishing (NCBI Bookshelf), 2023); [Dental Caries Diagnostic Testing](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK574510/) (StatPearls Publishing (NCBI Bookshelf), 2023); [Global oral health status report: towards universal health coverage for oral health by 2030](https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240061484) (World Health Organization, 2022).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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