Table 2. Mean number of decayed (dt), filled (ft), and decayed and filled (dft) primary teeth among children aged 2–5 years with at least one decayed or filled tooth

2024 Oral Health Surveillance Report—Table 2

Characteristic	2017–March 2020
	dft		dt		ft
	Meanb	SE	Meanb	SE	Meanb	SE
Total	4.4	0.18	1.8	0.28	2.6	0.40
Sex
Male (reference)	4.1	0.24	2.0	0.35	2.1	0.35
Female	4.8	0.32	1.6	0.25	3.2*	0.52
Race and ethnicity
White, non-Hispanic (reference)	3.6	0.36	2.1	0.35	1.5	0.22
Black, non-Hispanic	3.4	0.25	1.7	0.26	1.7	0.28
Mexican American	5.9*	0.39	2.0	0.54	3.9*	0.85
Poverty statusc
High poverty	4.8*	0.27	2.2	0.44	2.6	0.49
Middle poverty	4.6	0.67	NR	NR	2.9	0.82
Low poverty (reference)	3.7	0.33	1.6	0.23	2.1	0.42
Poverty statusc
High and middle poverty combined	4.7*	0.25	2.1	0.40	2.7	0.49
Low poverty (reference)	3.7	0.33	1.6	0.23	2.1	0.42

Note: All estimates are adjusted by age (single years) to the U.S. 2000 standard population. Estimates are based on all U.S. race and ethnicity groups, except the estimates for specific race and ethnicity categories. NR = Not reported because the sample size is <30 or the standard error is >30% of the point estimate value. SE = standard error. Reference groups were used to test for statistical differences within sociodemographic characteristics.

* P <0.05 based on t-test for differences against the reference group.
^a Includes children with at least one primary tooth present and at least one decayed or filled primary tooth (dft ≥1).
^b Weighted mean estimates.
^c Defined as the percentage of family income relative to the federal poverty level (FPL). High poverty = <100% FPL; middle poverty = 100%–199% FPL; high or middle poverty combined = <200% FPL; and low poverty = ≥200% FPL.