Conduct of population surveys to determine oral health status and the need

for intervention in communities is an essential part of the duties of chief dental

offi cers and other administrators responsible for oral health programmes.
Where there is no national or regional dental offi cer specifi cally responsible
for oral health activities, a member of a dental society or staff of training
institutions for oral health personnel may undertake regular epidemiological
surveys of oral health conditions.
The methods described in this manual can be used to estimate:

• the distribution and severity of major oral diseases and conditions; • the extent to which oral health
programmes match the need for care of
population groups and the need for community-oriented disease prevention

and health promotion; and • the nature and urgency of the oral health intervention(s) required.
If the survey includes expanded variables, the role of social determinants
of oral health and common modifi able risk factors such as personal hygiene,
diet, use of tobacco, excessive alcohol consumption, use of oral health services,
and fi nally oral health-related quality of life of the population may also be
assessed.