Abstract
This paper discusses evidence-based management of dental caries with regard to: (1) need to adopt new office methods, (2) potential barriers to change, and (3) possible practical solutions to aid change. The need for classifying individual patients into low-, medium-, and high-risk caries groups is justified from a review of the epidemiological characteristics of caries. In addition, a deficiency is identified in traditional caries recording methods since they are unable to grade the severity and activity of individual lesions. The traditional basis of six-monthly recall examinations for all patients is shown from the literature to have no scientific support. It is suggested a three-twelve month recall interval be used, depending on a patient's risk group classification. Some barriers to change are identified as: (1) the collection of more comprehensive history and clinical caries data, (2) the complexity of evidence-based decision-making, and (3) dentists' difficulty in standardizing decision-making. A new pictorial classification for caries severity and activity is described. A demonstration decision-support system is presented in terms of assisting collection of data, automatic identification of risk factors, patient risk classification, and generation of a suggested treatment plan. Evidence-based management may result in change of professional manpower levels.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 27-35 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | The Journal of the American College of Dentists |
| Volume | 66 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - 1999 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Practical approach to evidence-based management of caries. / Benn, Douglas; Clark, T. D.; Dankel, D. D.; Kostewicz, S. H.
In: The Journal of the American College of Dentists, Vol. 66, No. 1, 1999, p. 27-35.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Practical approach to evidence-based management of caries.
AU - Benn, Douglas
AU - Clark, T. D.
AU - Dankel, D. D.
AU - Kostewicz, S. H.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - This paper discusses evidence-based management of dental caries with regard to: (1) need to adopt new office methods, (2) potential barriers to change, and (3) possible practical solutions to aid change. The need for classifying individual patients into low-, medium-, and high-risk caries groups is justified from a review of the epidemiological characteristics of caries. In addition, a deficiency is identified in traditional caries recording methods since they are unable to grade the severity and activity of individual lesions. The traditional basis of six-monthly recall examinations for all patients is shown from the literature to have no scientific support. It is suggested a three-twelve month recall interval be used, depending on a patient's risk group classification. Some barriers to change are identified as: (1) the collection of more comprehensive history and clinical caries data, (2) the complexity of evidence-based decision-making, and (3) dentists' difficulty in standardizing decision-making. A new pictorial classification for caries severity and activity is described. A demonstration decision-support system is presented in terms of assisting collection of data, automatic identification of risk factors, patient risk classification, and generation of a suggested treatment plan. Evidence-based management may result in change of professional manpower levels.
AB - This paper discusses evidence-based management of dental caries with regard to: (1) need to adopt new office methods, (2) potential barriers to change, and (3) possible practical solutions to aid change. The need for classifying individual patients into low-, medium-, and high-risk caries groups is justified from a review of the epidemiological characteristics of caries. In addition, a deficiency is identified in traditional caries recording methods since they are unable to grade the severity and activity of individual lesions. The traditional basis of six-monthly recall examinations for all patients is shown from the literature to have no scientific support. It is suggested a three-twelve month recall interval be used, depending on a patient's risk group classification. Some barriers to change are identified as: (1) the collection of more comprehensive history and clinical caries data, (2) the complexity of evidence-based decision-making, and (3) dentists' difficulty in standardizing decision-making. A new pictorial classification for caries severity and activity is described. A demonstration decision-support system is presented in terms of assisting collection of data, automatic identification of risk factors, patient risk classification, and generation of a suggested treatment plan. Evidence-based management may result in change of professional manpower levels.
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M3 - Article
VL - 66
SP - 27
EP - 35
JO - The Journal of the American College of Dentists
JF - The Journal of the American College of Dentists
SN - 0002-7979
IS - 1
ER -