Which statement about DMFS/DMFT is true?

• A. They assess cumulative caries experience in permanent dentition and count decayed, missing, and filled surfaces or teeth
• B. They assess current active caries in primary dentition
• C. They measure plaque accumulation
• D. They evaluate tooth whitening efficacy

Answer: (A)

DMFT/DMFS measure lifetime caries experience in the permanent dentition. They sum up the D, M, and F components to reflect what a person has experienced over time: decayed teeth or surfaces, teeth missing due to caries, and teeth that have been filled because of past caries. Counting either teeth (DMFT/DMFS with teeth or surfaces) gives a single score that represents cumulative caries burden, not just current activity. This is why the statement is true: it correctly describes both the focus on permanent dentition and the counting of decayed, missing, and filled units. For primary teeth, the analogous indices are dmft/dmfs, not DMFT/DMFS.