3.3 Continuum of Disease
 As mentioned earlier, historically, all patients were thought to be at the same risk for caries. Everyone who visited the dentist received the same treatment that typically included an examination, X-rays, fluoride treatment, and cleaning every 6 months. All defective fillings and carious lesions, regardless of size, were restored.
However, research has shown that risk assessment is necessary for optimal treatment. Now dental caries is viewed as a continuum of disease caused by specific pathogens. Individual patients and individual teeth are at different levels of risk.
Given this information, treatment needs to be customized to reflect modifying factors that increase or decrease a patient’s risk for dental caries. The goal is to control the carious disease process so that no infection is present. This is why management of dental caries must consider the specific pathogens involved as well as prevention and treatment modalities.
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