Caries Management by Risk Assessment: Results from a Practice-Based Research Network Study

Area of Science:

• Dental Public Health
• Caries Research
• Clinical Dentistry

Background:

• Dental caries remains a significant public health issue.
• Effective management strategies are crucial for reducing caries prevalence.
• Standard of care protocols may not sufficiently address individual caries risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of Caries Management By Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) in reducing caries risk and disease indicators.
• To compare CAMBRA intervention with standard dental care in a real-world clinical setting.
• To assess the successful training and calibration of dentists in DMFS and ICDAS scoring.

Main Methods:

• A 2-year, randomized, controlled, parallel-arm, double-blind clinical trial.
• 460 patients were assigned to either standard of care (control) or CAMBRA treatment (intervention).
• Dentists (n=30) were trained and calibrated in Decay, Missing, and Filled Surfaces (DMFS) and International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) scoring.

Main Results:

• CAMBRA intervention significantly reduced caries risk levels compared to the control group.
• Caries disease indicators were significantly lower in the CAMBRA group at all recall points.
• Dentist training in DMFS and ICDAS scoring was successful.

Conclusions:

• CAMBRA is an effective approach for managing dental caries in non-university clinical settings.
• Individualized caries risk assessment and management lead to improved patient outcomes.
• CAMBRA demonstrates a significant reduction in caries disease indicators and risk.