Reliability of dental caries prediction in children

Introduction Risk assessment is an essential component in the decision-making process for the prevention and management of dental caries (DC). Aim of the study: to evaluate the reliability of complex and personalized prediction of dental caries in school-aged children using different Cariogram Software models. Materials and Methods: A controlled clinical study was conducted on a sample of 72 school-aged children. The research group (L1) included 36 children with DC, while the control group (L0) included 36 children without carious lesions. The complex and personalized prediction of DC in children was performed in both groups using two Cariogram Software models: the classic model and the simplified model, without the use of salivary tests. Results: The reliability of DC prediction in children without carious lesions (L0) was approximately identical when using both Cariogram Software models. In children from the L1 group, the reliability of DC prediction using the classic Cariogram model was 37.02% higher compared to the simplified model, which did not use salivary tests. Conclusions: To identify subjects at high and extreme risk for the development of DC, it is necessary to apply the classic Cariogram model, which involves the use of tests to assess the properties of oral fluid. However, the most significant factor is the evaluation of the number of Streptococcus mutans.