Some tools for the identification of high caries risk individuals. A review.
As a consequence of the polarisation of dental caries, which occurred over the last 3 decades in industrialised countries, the usefulness of risk assessment, both for individuals and for groups of subjects, became evident. At individual level, the early identification of high and medium caries-risk subjects allows to plan specific preventive measures for each subject's needs, based on the risk grade and the causally-directed diagnosis. At population level, risk assessment helps to increase the efficiency and to reduce the costs of caries preventive programmes. In this study, a review of caries-risk indicators is proposed: these indicators, collected through the analysis of relevant background data, clinical examination and salivary tests are indispensable to achieve a correct caries-risk assessment. A review of the studies on the attempts to produce prediction models for caries-risk assessment is presented: in view of the multifactorial nature of caries etiology and the complexity of the prediction of individual caries-risk, a multivariate approach is necessary. Finally, some suggestions on the clinical usefulness and on indications of caries-risk determination are given.
Giannoni
M
M
Department of Dentistry and Stomatology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy. giannonimario@virgilio.it
D'Amario
M
M
Gatto
R
R
Barone
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012306:Risk; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology
D005459:Fluorides