Cariogram – A Multi-factorial Risk Assessment Software for Risk Prediction of Dental Caries

For years, Swedish researchers have recognized caries risk assessment as an important part of routine dental practice for caries management. This paper reviews a new way of illustrating the caries risk profi le of an individual through a computer program, the Cariogram, which was described by Professor Bratthal in 1976. Cariogram is a risk as well as a prediction model. It presents a ‘weighted’ of the input data related to caries such as caries experience, related disease, diet, fl uoride content, saliva and plaque amount. It’s a didactic tool which illustrates the multifactorial etiologic factors of dental caries in a graphical manner as well as it provides targeted preventive strategies. Many studies have been done to validate the software as a caries risk assessment tool since 2000. This paper attempts to embrace the studies related to Cariogram.