Objective: The objective was to test whether the ranking of countries was different using the SFS-T (Significant Filled Sound-Teeth Index) or the Significant Caries Index (SIC).
Method: This study compared the country rankings using the SiC and the SFS-T indices in 12 year olds in a range of countries. The SFS-T is the one-third of the population with the lowest filled or sound teeth and is a measure of functional status. We used the SiC and DMFT data from the WHO database for 12 year olds. SFS-T index values were estimated for the 12 year olds for 16 countries.
Results: The ranking by SiC index scores was lower for developed countries than for developing countries.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that it may be more useful to use the SFS-T index than the SiC index in studies comparing dental status between countries.