• Prevalence illustrates the balance between resistance factors and caries inducing factors in the past and at the present.  For an adult patient, the caries prevalence usually is a result of caries activity from six years of age, when the first permanent teeth appeared. If the caries prevalence is high, it means that the patient has been susceptible to the disease during a past period of time.

• Prevalence is determined by one oral exam using a light, probe (?) and mirror.

• The examination is usually without x-rays.  Without x-rays proximal caries are not easily found.

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