Correlation between caries prevalence (DMFS) and periodontal condition (CPITN) in more than 2000 patients

The CPITN (Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs) and DMFS (Decayed-Missing-Filled Surfaces) index were evaluated simultaneously to provide information on the mutual influences of periodontal disease and caries. With the aid of an electronic database system the data of the caries index and periodontal index of more than 2000 patients aged between 18 and 80 years were stored and calculated. As expected, the CPITN and DMFS values increased with age. When the CPITN was selected as a reference the DMFS was found to change with increasing CPITN. With the examination method used in this study no correlation could be established between the prevalence of caries and periodontal condition, although both conditions have a common aetiological factor: microbial plaque.