Abstract
We investigated whether the recall interval is related to the incidence of caries according to the degree of susceptibility to caries at each dentition period. Among 2797 children who first visited our pediatric dental clinic for ten years, from 1985 to 1994,1329 patients responded to periodical recall for one year or longer. These were the subjects of this research. The patients were first classified into a high risk or low risk group for dental caries according to the number or kinds of teeth with caries or restoration. Each group was then subdivided into four groups according to age at the first visit; these groups were further subdivided into those who returned at regular and irregular intervals.
The results showed that the number of newly developed caries increased markedly in the high risk group for dental caries for those who had their first visit up to three years of age at a two-mouth interval recall compared with a one-mouth interval recall. The incidence of caries decreased among children whose first visit was during the time from three to under six years, as primary dentition changed to mixed and permanent dentitions when recalls were performed for the same interval. However, such a decrease was not observed within either interval group as mixed dentition changed to permanent dentition, among children whose first visit was from the age of six to under ten. The children recalled regularly showed a greater decrease in the incidence of caries in all dentition periods, at regular interval recall compared with irregular interval recall, while those who were recalled irregularly showed a greater increase. Taken together, recall is more effective when it begins at a younger age, and the degree of caries and the time of the emergence of permanent teeth should be considered in setting the interval.
