Dental Caries (Tooth Decay) in Adults (Age 20 to 64)

Dental Caries in Permanent (Adult) Teeth

Note: Approximately 5% of adults age 20 to 64 have no teeth. This survey applies only to those adults who have teeth.

Dental caries, both treated and untreated, in all adults age 20 to 64 declined from the early 1970s until the most recent (1999-2004) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The decrease was significant in all population subgroups. In spite of this decline, significant disparities are still found in some population groups.

Prevalence (Table 1)

• 92% of adults 20 to 64 have had dental caries in their permanent teeth.
• White adults and those living in families with higher incomes and more education have had more decay.

Unmet Needs (Table 2)

• 23% of adults 20 to 64 have untreated decay.
• Black and Hispanic adults, younger adults, and those with lower incomes and less education have more untreated decay.

Severity (Table 3 and Table 4)

• Adults 20 to 64 have an average of 3.28 decayed or missing permanent teeth and 13.65 decayed and missing permanent surfaces.
• Hispanic subgroups and those with lower incomes have more severe decay in permanent teeth.
• Black and Hispanic subgroups and those with lower incomes have more untreated permanent teeth.

Tables 1 through 4 present selected caries estimates in permanent teeth for adults aged 20 to 64 years and for selected subgroups.

Units of Measure: Dental caries is measured by a dentist examining a person’s teeth, and recording the ones with untreated tooth decay and the ones with fillings. This provides three important numbers:

• FT (filled teeth): this is the number of decayed teeth that have been treated, which indicates access to dental care;
• DMT (decayed and missing teeth): this is the number decayed and missing teeth that have not been treated, which measures unmet need; and
• DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled teeth): this is the sum of DMT and FT, and is the measure of person’s total lifetime tooth decay.

In addition to counting decayed and filled teeth, this same information can be gathered at the tooth surface level. Since every tooth has multiple surfaces, counting the decayed or filled surfaces provides a more accurate measure of the severity of decay. The following tables list both methods of measuring caries.

Table 1: Adults, Percent with Caries in Permanent Teeth

Prevalence of caries in permanent teeth (DMFT) among adults 20 to 64 years of age, by selected characteristics: United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2004

Data Source: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has been an important source of information on oral health and dental care in the United States since the early 1970s. Tables 1 through 4 present the latest NHANES (collected between 1999 and 2004) data regarding dental caries in adults.

Table 2: Percent of Adults with Untreated Decay in Permanent Teeth

Prevalence of untreated decay in permanent teeth (DT) among adults 20 to 64 years of age, by selected characteristics: United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2004

Data Source: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has been an important source of information on oral health and dental care in the United States since the early 1970s. Tables 1 through 4 present the latest NHANES (collected between 1999 and 2004) data regarding dental caries in adults.

Table 3: Adults, Permanent Teeth, Severity of Decay Measured by Tooth

Mean number of decayed, filled, and decayed or filled permanent teeth among adults 20 to 64 years of age, by selected characteristics: United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2004

Data Source: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has been an important source of information on oral health and dental care in the United States since the early 1970s. Tables 1 through 4 present the latest NHANES (collected between 1999 and 2004) data regarding dental caries in adults.

Table 4: Adults, Permanent Teeth, Severity of Decay Measured by Tooth Surface

Mean number of decayed, filled, and decayed or filled permanent tooth surfaces among adults 20 to 64 years of age, by selected characteristics: United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2004

Data Source: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has been an important source of information on oral health and dental care in the United States since the early 1970s. Tables 1 through 4 present the latest NHANES (collected between 1999 and 2004) data regarding dental caries in adults.