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Dental Caries Risk Assessment-a Review
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Caries is a disease of multifactorial etiology and a risk assessment should evaluate all factors involved with the disease. Individual risk factors studied separately from the pool of risk factors tend to be poor predictors of caries onset. The assessment of all risk factors not only allows for a more accurate caries risk assessment, but also identifies the etiologic factors responsible for the occurrence of caries in a particular patient. This approach encourages management strategies developed specifically for the patient.
Identifying factors that determine those individuals at highest risk-either prior to or very shortly after teeth begin to erupt-is imperative to allow for possible preventive intervention. Once identified, these factors should be assessed using a reliable and valid tool that is useable by both dental practitioners and trained nondental health professionals.
Furthermore, the risk assessment, any proposed management strategy and outcomes should be recorded formally over time to monitor and measure treatment efficacy. Patients should be given an opportunity to formally acknowledge the outcomes of a complete risk assessment evaluation so that empowered patients can become true partners and contributors to their oral care.
Keywords
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