Table 2.

Dental health characteristics of US adults ≥ 20 years by quintile of Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015) score, NHANES 2011–2012 and 2013–2014.

HEI 2015 Quintile	I	II	III	IV	V	Total
N	1550	1551	1550	1550	1550	7751
Any untreated coronal caries (%)* †	36.7 (1419)	35.2 (1446)	31.7 (1417)	30.0 (1463)	28.8 (1474)	32.7 (7219)
Mean number of teeth with decayed, missing or filled coronal surfaces (DMFT)*	13.2±0.3	12.9±0.3	12.3±0.3	12.2±0.3	11.6±0.2	12.5±0.2
Mean number of teeth (excluding 3rd molars)*	21.9±0.2	22.0±0.3	22.6±0.3	22.7±0.3	23.7±0.3	22.6±0.2

Means (± standard errors) and frequencies are weighted) are weighted to account for the complex survey design and yield estimates generalizable to the US population, and adjusted further for age, gender, race/ethnicity (Mexican-American, Other Hispanic, non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian, Other-including Multiracial), current cigarette use (yes/no), family income-to-poverty threshold ratio, education (11^th grade or less, high school graduate/GED, or some college/AA degree /college graduate), last dental visit (within the past year, >1 year but ≤3 years, or >3 years), and ever told had a heart attack (yes/no).

^*Linear trend across quintiles, p<0.001.

^†Dentate persons only. N shown in parentheses.