Effectiveness of a 4-Month vs. 8-Month Recall Interval for High-Caries-Risk Preschool Children: A 30-Month Clinical...

Regular follow-up after dental treatment is essential to prevent the development and progression of new caries lesions in children. However, there is no consensus on the optimal recall interval.

The aim of the present clinical trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of two different recall intervals for high caries risk children.

A total of 224 preschool children (aged 3-5 years) with at least one active caries lesion were selected. After treatment, children were randomized into two different groups according to the recall interval: every 4 months or every 8 months. A single trained and calibrated examiner re-evaluated participants according to their group. The primary outcome was caries lesion progression into dentine (ICDAS 5-6). Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between the independent variables and primary outcome (α = 5%).

Children in the 8-month recall group were 2.5 times more likely to develop new cavitated caries lesions when compared to those in the 4-month recall group, over 30 months.

High caries risk children on an 8-month recall schedule had a significantly higher risk of developing new cavitated caries lesions compared to those with a 4-month recall interval.