Personalized treatment planning

Abstract

This chapter aims to outline a flexible framework which the dental team can use to bring together key elements of information about their patients and their patients' teeth in order to plan appropriate, patient-centred, caries management based on the application of best current evidence and practice. This framework can be enabled by the use of the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) clinical visual scoring systems for caries detection and activity, but also needs additional information about lesions and the patient to plan and then monitor the effectiveness of personalized caries care. The treatment planning process has evolved from restorative treatment decisions being largely made during clinical assessment as an examination of wet teeth proceeds, with limited charting and a minor role for patient factors. Best practice now involves a comprehensive examination being made systematically of clean dry teeth using sharp eyes and blunt probes. The ICDAS-enabled framework provides for information to be collected at the tooth/surface level (clinical visual lesion detection, lesion detection aids and lesion activity assessment) and at the patient level (patient caries risk assessment, dentition and lesion history and patient behavioural assessment). This information is then synthesized to inform integrated, personalized treatment planning which involves the choice of appropriate treatment options (background level care, preventive treatment options, operative treatment options) and then recall, reassessment and monitoring. Examples of international moves towards using integrated, personalized treatment planning for caries control are given, drawing on experiences in the UK, the USA and from the ICDAS Committee.