Which teeth are used as index teeth for the PHP assessment?

Which teeth are used as index teeth for the PHP assessment?

• A. 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21
• B. 4, 7, 11, 15, 18, 22
• C. 2, 6, 10, 12, 16, 20
• D. 3, 8, 14, 19, 24, 30

Answer: (D)

In PHP assessment, a fixed set of index teeth is chosen to sample oral health efficiently and consistently across people. The six index teeth are the upper right first molar, upper right central incisor, upper left first molar, lower left first molar, lower left central incisor, and the lower right first molar. These teeth are spread across both arches and include both anterior and posterior regions, which helps capture representative information about caries experience, periodontal status, and overall dentition health without needing to examine every tooth. Third molars are often excluded due to high variability in eruption and presence, so using these six teeth provides a practical, standardized snapshot of the mouth.

In PHP assessment, a fixed set of index teeth is chosen to sample oral health efficiently and consistently across people. The six index teeth are the upper right first molar, upper right central incisor, upper left first molar, lower left first molar, lower left central incisor, and the lower right first molar. These teeth are spread across both arches and include both anterior and posterior regions, which helps capture representative information about caries experience, periodontal status, and overall dentition health without needing to examine every tooth. Third molars are often excluded due to high variability in eruption and presence, so using these six teeth provides a practical, standardized snapshot of the mouth.