Factors Associated with Longitudinal Changes in the Caries Activity Profile of Children.

Purpose: To evaluate the factors associated with longitudinal changes in the caries activity profile of high caries risk children.
Methods: The sample consisted of clinical records of children who had undergone dental care in a public setting during a one-year period. Patients with active carious lesions (non-cavitated and/or cavitated) at the initial examination and who completed treatment were considered for the analysis. A caries-controlled profile was set as the main outcome based on arresting active carious lesions. Poisson regression was used to evaluate the association of patient- and treatment-related factors with the outcome ( P <0.05).
Results: The analysis included 130 caries-active children (7.8±2.4 [standard deviation - SD] years), with a mean missing and filled teeth index score of 8.3±4.4 SD. Patients with lower caries experience (prevalence ratio [PR]=0.93; 95 percent confidence interval [95% CI]=0.87 to 0.99) who received more appointments focused on oral health promotion based on dietary and oral hygiene instructions (PR=1.28; 95% CI= 1.03 to 1.58) had a greater rate of moving to caries-controlled status. The number of invasive treatments was not associated with a shift from caries-active to caries-controlled status (PR=0.98; 95% CI=0.87 to 1.11).
Conclusion: A preventive regimen focused on dental and diet guidance may play an important role in arresting active carious lesions in high caries risk children.