Caries risk assessment can help predict the likelihood that a child will develop dental caries and identify strategies for preventing caries, which is particularly important for children with special health care needs.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s caries risk assessment forms are designed to help oral health professionals assess caries risk in infants, children, and adolescents and to aid in clinical decision-making related to diagnostic, fluoride, dietary, and restorative protocols. Forms are geared toward specific ages. Each form presents categories of risk factors (biological, protective, clinical findings) to determine whether an infant, child, or adolescent is at high, moderate, or low risk for caries. The following caries risk assessment forms are available.
The American Dental Association’s caries risk assessment forms are tools to help dentists evaluate infants’, children’s, and adolescents’ risk for dental caries. The forms can also serve as communication tools to use with children, adolescents, and parents to highlight risk factors. The forms are divided by age range (birth to age 6 and over age 6). Each form includes three categories: contributing conditions, general health conditions, and clinical conditions.