Pediatric Dentistry · single question
A caries risk assessment for an 8-year-old who has not seen a dentist in 5 years, lives in a non-fluoridated community, and has mesio-occlusal caries on tooth K and mesio-occluso-distal caries involving the pulp on tooth L. Both teeth are restorable. What is the caries risk?
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Correct answer: A. High
Multiple high-risk factors are present: no dental care for 5 years (absence of preventive care), non-fluoridated community (reduced protective factor), and active cavitated lesions including one with pulp involvement (active disease). Multiple cavitated lesions in primary dentition = HIGH CARIES RISK by AAPD criteria. The combination of environmental risk factors plus active disease clearly places this child in the HIGH caries risk category.
- A. CORRECT. HIGH caries risk is established by: 5 years without dental care, non-fluoridated community (reduced fluoride exposure), and multiple active cavitated lesions including one with pulp involvement in primary dentition — all indicating HIGH risk.
- B. INCORRECT. Moderate risk implies some risk factors but no severe active disease. Multiple cavitated lesions including pulpal involvement indicates more than moderate risk.
- C. INCORRECT. Low risk requires no active carious lesions and presence of protective factors. This patient has active disease.
- D. INCORRECT. There is sufficient information to determine the risk — it is clearly HIGH based on available data.
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