Methods: Using the Queensland Dental Board register, all 2520 dentists and dental specialists practicing primarily in Queensland were invited to participate in a questionnaire-based postal survey.
Results: Of the 644 responses received, 622 were included for final analysis. Most respondents perceived the frequency of patients presenting with root caries to be 1-5 per week, most commonly amongst the >55 years age group. Age related risk was perceived to be increased in age groups <55 years who attended public dental services in comparison to those attending private dental practitioners. Use of diagnostic measures such as surface elasticity and contour were reported frequently. A majority of respondents reported not recording root caries in a way that could be distinguished from coronal caries. Dietary analysis was the most commonly reported adjunctive aid for risk assessment. A recommendation for use of a remineralising agent at home was more commonly reported than was an in-office remineralising procedure, although a majority of practitioners reported frequent use of each management mode. Salivary impairment was reported to be an important risk factor for root caries by 94% of respondents, but only 18% reported performing salivary analysis. A large proportion of respondents (34%) considered diabetic patients to be of low or no risk of root caries.
Conclusions: While the Queensland dental practitioners who participated in this survey demonstrated an awareness of root caries and its predisposing factors, clinical risk assessment particularly for patients with diabetes should be further examined.
Acknowledgements: Funding for this study was granted by Clinical Education and Training Queensland (Oral Health), Queensland Health.