Assessing the child and family

Assessing the child and family

Parents or carers have a crucial role in the prevention of dental caries in their children. Consequently, it is important to understand the child’s family circumstances and, in particular, the ability and willingness of the child’s parent/carer to take responsibility for the child’s oral health. The first assessment should be carried out before the child is six months old in order that parent/carers can be encouraged to adopt optimum caries preventive practices early. Assessment needs to be reviewed regularly because family circumstances can change and influence the child’s risk of developing caries. The assessment of adult and child patients is described in the SDCEP Oral Health Assessment and Review guidance. Issues of particular relevance to assessing for dental caries in the child patient are discussed in more detail in this section.