Table 3 ‘Distribution of risk categories for dental caries based on clinical assessment’: patient characteristics, results, specifications
Patient characteristics and results per dental practice (DP), children and adolescents (<18 years) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Patients < 18 years old | DP #1 | DP #2 | DP #3 | DP #4 | All DPs |
Per age group | |||||
- 0–6 years | 18% | 21% | 24% | 21% | |
- 7–12 years | 43% | 39% | 52% | 45% | |
- 13–17 years | 39% | 40% | 24% | 100% | 33% |
Per socioeconomic status | |||||
- High | 23% | 77% | 88% | 33% | 70% |
- Middle | 9% | 5% | 1% | 4% | |
- Low | 68% | 17% | 6% | 67% | 24% |
- Unknown | 1% | 5% | 3% | ||
n | 77 | 115 | 153 | 3 | 348 |
Results, patients < 18 years old | |||||
Per risk category, baseline | |||||
- Low | 38% | 17% | 69% | 100% | 45% |
- Decreased | 12% | 22% | 19% | 18% | |
- Increased | 22% | 28% | 10% | 18% | |
- High | 29% | 34% | 3% | 19% | |
Patient characteristics and results per dental practice, adults (≥18 years) | |||||
Patients ≥ 18 years old | DP #1 | DP #2 | DP #3 | DP #4 | All DPs |
Per age group | |||||
- 18–39 | 51% | 41% | 52% | 44% | 48% |
- 40+ | 49% | 59% | 48% | 56% | 52% |
Per socioeconomic status | |||||
- High | 33% | 70% | 83% | 68% | 62% |
- Middle | 17% | 9% | 4% | 5% | 9% |
- Low | 51% | 19% | 5% | 24% | 25% |
- Unknown | 3% | 9% | 3% | 4% | |
n | 150 | 153 | 149 | 66 | 518 |
Results, patients ≥ 18 years old | |||||
Per risk category, baseline | |||||
- Low | 8% | 5% | 6% | 26% | 9% |
- Decreased | 26% | 44% | 74% | 20% | 44% |
- Increased | 33% | 41% | 16% | 26% | 30% |
- High | 33% | 10% | 4% | 29% | 17% |
For children and adolescents the distribution of risk categories for dental caries varied between the dental practices (p < 0.01, Kruskal-Wallis test). The caries risk was highest in dental practice #2 and lowest in dental practice #3. Overall, there was a difference in the distribution of risk categories in the different age groups (p < 0.01, Kruskal-Wallis test). Children in age group 0–6 years were in lower risk categories than children in age group 7–12 and adolescents in age group 13–17 years. There was a difference in distribution of risk categories in the different socioeconomic groups (p < 0.01, Kruskal-Wallis test). Children and adolescents in the lowest socioeconomic group were in higher risk categories than children and adolescents in the middle and low group. For adults the distribution of risk categories for dental caries also varied between the dental practices (p < 0.01, Kruskal-Wallis test). The caries risk was highest in dental practice #1 and lowest in dental practice #3. Overall, there was a difference in the distribution of risk categories in both age groups (p < 0.05 Mann-Whitney U-test). Adults in age group 40+ were in higher risk categories than adults in age group 18–39 years. There was a difference in distribution of risk categories in the different socioeconomic groups (p < 0.01, Kruskal-Wallis test). Adults in the highest socioeconomic group were in lower risk categories than adults in the middle and low group. | |||||
Specifications of measure | |||||
Data source | Clinical assessment by the GDP during consultation | ||||
Assessment of risk categories | Low - No restorations and no active caries lesions in the past Decreased - Restorations or lesions in the past, but not in the last year Increased - Active lesions and 1 new or progressed lesion in the last year High - Active lesions and 2 or more new and/or progressed lesions in the last year [26] | ||||
Numerator/denominator | Numerator: number of patients per risk category Denominator: total number of patients with an assessment of a risk category | ||||
Inclusion criteria | • at least one oral health examination a year • at least 2 years registered in the dental practice | ||||