Caries Risk Assessment
Pronunciation: KAIR-eez risk uh-SES-ment
Also written as: CRA
A structured clinical evaluation used to classify a patient's likelihood of developing new dental decay, guiding preventive treatment decisions.
Full Definition
A caries risk assessment (CRA) is a systematic process by which a dental clinician evaluates biological, protective, and clinical factors to categorise a patient as low, moderate, or high risk for dental caries. Factors assessed may include diet, fluoride exposure, salivary flow, plaque levels, and history of decay. In practice management and clinical documentation, the full phrase 'caries risk assessment' should be used on first reference, with the abbreviation 'CRA' permissible thereafter. Editors should note that 'caries' is both singular and plural—there is no word 'carie'—and that 'caries risk' is not hyphenated when used as a noun phrase.
Usage
Usage note: 'Caries' is always spelled with an 's' regardless of whether one or many lesions are referenced; the singular form 'carie' does not exist.
In Context
- "A typographical error rendered 'caries risk assessment' as 'carries risk assessment' throughout the patient handout." — Patient education document
- "The clinical record lacked a completed caries risk assessment, which is required prior to prescribing a custom fluoride tray." — Clinical documentation audit