The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) has issued a technical report that supports the concept of caries risk assessment and offers some suggestions for further advancing its application in the clinical care of children.
The report also recommends that an essential dental benefits plan clearly define the role of caries risk assessment and provide compelling scientific evidence of its benefit to the oral health of children. The AAPD is calling for more study to gather evidence to support clinical application of caries risk assessment in any plan.
"To date, no existing instrument can ensure accurate categorization of children by risk or predict future caries experience through its application in clinical practice," wrote the study authors, Paul Casamassimo, DDS, and Jan Silverman, MSW, LCSW. "Without good science and its thoughtful application, both children and the clinicians who serve them are placed in jeopardy."
