Risk Classification: similar to that for the adult patient (low, moderate and high risk).

Host Factors.

• Check past dental and medical history.
• Note the dmf.
• Remember that:
  - the low risk patient will have no cavitated lesions and may have inactive white spot lesions.
  - the moderate risk patient will have several active white spot lesions but no cavitations.
  -the high risk patient will have cavitated lesions and may or may not have active or in active white spot lesions.
• Note the location of  the lesions.  This will give a clue to susceptibility.
• Check fluoride intake.
• Note if there is visible plaque and parental guidance of oral hygiene procedures.

Diet Factors.

• Determine access to cariogenic foods.
• Use of bottle at bedtime containing sugar containing liquids.

Bacterial Factors.

• MS test is used to determine bacterial salivary levels and aid in risk classification.   If patient is too young to obtain a saliva sample, use a sterile tooth pick to obtain plaque samples from suspicious surface and plate these samples onto the ms test strips in the  Strip Mutans test™ test kit.
• Lactobacilli test may aid in caries activity determination.  Helps to monitor sugar intake.

. White spot evaluation is similar to that described for the adult patient.

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