Changing the Focus to the Whole Patient instead of One Oral Disease: The Concept of Individualized Prevention

Table 1

Definitions and examples for the different risk classes within the risk and needs profiles.

Class		Risk profile		Needs profile
		Risk of complications	Risk of oral diseases	Risk of pathogenesis	Risk of progression
Low	Definition	No increased risk of complications	No increased risk of oral disease	No increased risk of de novo oral disease development	No increased risk of the progression of existing oral diseases
	Example	Overall healthy patient	Overall healthy patient	Caries/periodontitis risk: low	Orally healthy patient
Moderate	Definition	Moderately increased risk of complications	Moderately increased risk of oral diseases	Moderately increased risk of de novo oral disease development	Moderately increased risk of the progression of existing oral diseases
	Example	Well controlled COPD, bronchial asthma	Well controlled diabetes mellitus (HbA1c < 7%)	Caries/periodontitis risk: moderate	Active ICDAS 1-2 combined with a low/moderate caries risk, periodontal health at reduced periodontium
High	Definition	High risk of complications, potentially life-threatening risk	High risk of oral diseases	High risk of de novo oral disease development	High risk of the progression of existing oral disease
	Example	Heart valve replacement	Insufficiently controlled diabetes mellitus (HbA1c > 7%)	Caries/periodontitis risk: high	Active ICDAS combined with high caries risk, periodontitis grade C

ICDAS: International Caries Detection and Assessment System; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.