article · BMC Oral Health
A national oral health pathfinder survey evaluated the burden of dental caries among adults across 14 districts in mainland Tanzania. Using standard World Health Organization methods, clinical dental examinations and electronic questionnaires were conducted with 1,386 adults across three age groups. The findings revealed that 76.6 percent of participants experienced dental caries, with an overall average Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth score of 4.63. Missing teeth constituted the largest share of this score, followed closely by untreated decayed teeth. In contrast, only 3.5 percent of affected individuals had tooth fillings. Significantly higher disease burdens were documented among women, adults aged 50 and above, individuals with lower education levels, and those reporting poor self-rated dentition. Furthermore, higher scores correlated with brushing teeth less than once per day and failing to use a toothbrush daily.
Dental caries is a widespread chronic condition that significantly impairs overall health and well-being. By showing that missing and untreated decayed teeth dominate oral health scores while restorative care remains extremely low, these findings highlight widespread unmet treatment needs and reveal how socioeconomic disparities and poor hygiene practices drive oral disease in adult populations.
The abstract does not indicate a commercialisation pathway, as it provides epidemiological baseline data rather than developing or testing a product, service, or technology.
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BACKGROUND: Dental caries remains the most prevalent chronic disease globally. The DMFT (Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth) index is a key metric in oral epidemiology to quantify the prevalence and severity of dental caries. This study aims to assess the dental caries burden among adults in mainland Tanzania using the DMFT index. METHODS: A national pathfinder survey was conducted using a cross-sectional design across 14 districts in 13 regions of mainland Tanzania. Site selection followed the World Health Organization's (WHO) basic oral health survey methods, employing a modified stratified-cluster sampling approach. Adult participants completed electronic questionnaires prior to clinical dental examinations. Questionnaires gathered sociodemographic data, self-rated dentition status, tooth brushing practices, whereas clinical dental examination assessed dental caries status using the DMFT criteria. All data collection and dental examinations adhered to WHO standard criteria. Data were analysed using SPSS version 23. Frequencies were calculated to determine the proportions of participants' mean DMFT components. Bivariate associations were analysed using Mann Whitney U-test and Kruskal Wallis to compare DMFT components with sociodemographic characteristics and self-rated dentition status, whereas logistic regression was utilised for multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The survey included 1,386 participants aged 30-34, 35-44, and 50+, with 713 females (51.4%). Nearly half of the participants (49.1%) were aged 50 years or older. The mean DMFT score was 4.63 (SD 5.4), with 76.6% experiencing dental caries. The Missing teeth component accounted for the largest portion of the mean DMFT (52.4%), followed by the Decayed teeth component (45.8%). Only 3.5% of participants with dental caries had tooth fillings. Higher median DMFT scores were observed among females, participants aged 50 or more, with lowest education levels and poor self-rated dentition status. Increased DMFT scores were linked to brushing less than once daily (p < 0.05) and not using a toothbrush daily (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The high dental caries prevalence (76.6%) and sociodemographic disparities highlight the need for an integrated approach combining preventive measures, oral health promotion and improved access to dental services to address this challenge effectively in Tanzania.
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DOI: 10.1186/s12903-025-06233-6
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