Understand them. . . because skinny doesn't always mean healthy!

There have been extensive clinical trials done pertaining to identify and correlating the significance of dental caries risk factors.  Dr. John Featherstone has done a great majority of this at University of California San Francisco, and his research has been the basis for many of the most commonly accepted and identified risk factors in clinical practice as well as further university studies. 

 

Disease factors include visible cavitations, a cavity within the last 3 years, radiographic lesions, and white spot lesions.  In the absence of the disease factors, risk factors include heavy visible plaque, deep pits and fissures, inadequate saliva flow, exposed roots, appliances present, Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Sjogren’s syndrome, hyposalivary medications, radiation therapy, frequent snacking between meals, acidic beverages, and recreational drug use.

 

These risk factors will increase our patients’ susceptibility to dental caries, and the identification of them allows us to educate our patients on their presence and work to eliminate them, or at least limit their effect where possible.