Success of Two Caries Risk Assessment Tools in Children: A Pilot Study With a 3-Year Follow-Up.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Dental Public Health
• Preventive Dentistry

Background:

• Dental caries risk assessment is crucial for preventive strategies.
• Early identification of caries risk in children guides personalized interventions.
• Existing assessment tools require validation for effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of two caries risk assessment methods: the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry's Caries Risk Assessment Tool (CAT) and Clinpro Cario L-Pop (CCLP).
• To evaluate the predictive accuracy of these methods in identifying caries risk in caries-free preschool children over a 3-year period.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 90 caries-free 4- to 6-year-old children was selected.
• Children were categorized into high, medium, and low caries risk groups using both CAT and CCLP.
• Risk factors were identified using CAT, and compliance between methods was assessed using the Kappa test.
• Sixty-eight children were reevaluated after 3 years to assess prediction accuracy.

Main Results:

• Moderate compliance was observed between the CAT and CCLP methods at baseline.
• The top risk factors identified by CAT in the high-risk group included lack of topical fluoride, no dental service utilization, and maternal active caries.
• The CAT method demonstrated statistically superior effectiveness compared to CCLP in predicting caries risk over the 3-year follow-up period.

Conclusions:

• Caries risk assessment tools are effective in predicting future dental caries development in preschool children.
• The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry's Caries Risk Assessment Tool (CAT) shows greater predictive success than CCLP.
• Tailored caries prevention plans can be effectively developed based on accurate caries risk assessment.