Risk factors for caries in children
| Low risk | High risk | |
|---|---|---|
| Taken from 1997 UK National Clinical Guidelines in Paediatric Dentistry (Prevention of dental caries in children).43 | ||
| Socioeconomic | Mother’s education: secondary, tertiary | Mother’s education: secondary |
| Good attendance pattern | Poor attendance pattern | |
| Family: nuclear, higher social class (I, II, III), employment | Family: single parent, social deprivation, unemployment | |
| General health | Good general health | Chronic illness |
| Medication | No sugar containing medication | Sugar containing medication |
| Oral hygiene | Regular brushing twice per day with assistance | Irregular brushing without assistance |
| Good oral hygiene | Poor oral hygiene | |
| Diet | Less than 3 sugary intakes/day | 3 or more sugar intakes per day |
| Fluoride experience | Regular brushing with fluoride toothpaste | Irregular brushing with fluoride toothpaste |
| Optimally fluoridated water supply | No fluoridated water supply | |
| Past caries experience | dmft/DMFT less ⩽1 | dmft/DMFT ⩾5 |
| No initial lesions | ⩾10 initial lesions | |
| Caries free molars at 6–8 y of age | Caries in first permanent molars at 6 y of age | |
| 3 year caries increment <3 | 3 year caries increment greater ⩾3 | |
| Orthodontic treatment | No appliance therapy | Fixed appliance therapy |