Indicators for oral health and their implications for developing countries.

A review of WHO global oral data bank information demonstrated numerous examples of change, from the baseline year 1980 to 1982, towards less dental caries in developed countries and higher levels of that disease in developing countries. The changing emphasis of the indicators for the five ages or age groups specified was noted, from dental caries to all causes of tooth loss. The absence of specific indicators for disorders of the periodontium, the occlusion and the oral mucosa were cited as the main deficiencies of the set of indicators. A classification of countries into three groups according to DMF teeth at 12 years, each subdivided according to age of data, was used to suggest three collective goals based on DMF teeth levels at that age. For 5-6-year-olds it was possible only to make a tentative suggestion of two collective goals, 50 and 75 per cent caries-free. For all the indicators, except that at 12 years, the paucity of data was noted and the need emphasized to build up the data base in the global bank to give a realistic support to these indicators. The ever present need to heed the manpower implications of the existing oral disease trends and to improve planning procedures in the oral health sector was stressed.