Table 2.

Ratings of importance of caries risk factors for caries treatment planning on adult and pediatric patients, shown in decreasing order importance rating for adult patients

Variable*	Adult patient (Mean±SD)	Pediatric patient (Mean±SD)
Current oral hygiene	4.56±0.65	4.68±0.59
Commitment to return for follow-up	4.20±0.81	4.19±0.82
One or more active caries lesions	4.07±0.85	4.12±0.92
Patient’s (guardian’s) understanding of caries progression	4.07±0.81	3.98±0.84
Presence of dental appliances	3.76±0.93	3.82±0.94
Decreased salivary function	3.75±1.01	3.38±1.11
Current diet	3.73±0.99	3.80±0.95
Presence of several large restorations	3.66±0.93	3.64±0.89
Recent caries	3.50±0.99	3.52±0.95
Age of patient	3.49±0.96	3.61±0.93
Socioeconomic status	3.49±1.02	3.27±0.98
Dentist's subjective assessment	3.24±1.05	3.08±1.08
Current use of fluorides	2.58±0.99	2.97±1.02
Parents’ caries status	—	2.90±1.06

^*All of the factors presented are on a scale of 1 to 5.