Two children can eat the same diet, brush the same way, and end up with very different cavity histories. One sails through childhood without a single filling; the other seems to develop cavities regularly despite doing everything right.
This is because cavity risk is personal. It depends on genetics, the specific bacteria in your child's mouth, the strength of their enamel, their saliva composition, and a dozen other factors that a standard check-up doesn't capture. That's what a cavity-risk assessment (Caries-Risk Assessment, or CRA) is designed to understand.
What does the CRA look at?
The CRA at Chutti's is a structured assessment that considers:
- Your child's age and stage of dental development
- Any existing cavities or previous cavity history
- Plaque levels and brushing effectiveness
- Fluoride use — both at home (toothpaste) and professionally (treatments at the clinic)
- Diet and feeding: sugar frequency, night feeds, bottle use, snacking patterns
- Saliva flow and quality (low saliva flow significantly increases risk)
- Medical and developmental factors that may affect dental health
From this, we place your child in a low, moderate or high risk category.
Why does the category matter?
Because the prevention plan is completely different depending on the risk level.
A low-risk child may only need a professional fluoride application every 12 months. A high-risk child might need it every three months, along with dietary counselling, prescription-strength fluoride toothpaste for home use, and more frequent check-ups.
A generic "brush twice a day and avoid sweets" recommendation doesn't account for this. The CRA makes the prevention plan specific to your child.
How often is it done?
The CRA is built into the regular check-up — it doesn't require a separate appointment. As your child grows, their risk profile changes. The factors that made a 2-year-old high risk (night feeds, early enamel) may not apply at 6. We reassess at each visit and adjust the plan accordingly.
What if my child is already at high risk?
High risk doesn't mean cavities are inevitable — it means the prevention plan needs to work harder. Most high-risk children who follow their plan consistently do well. The CRA tells us where to focus effort, not just that something is wrong.