Nikiforuk G
Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto.
J Can Dent Assoc. 1997 Sep;63(8):618-24.
A favorite quote from John Fowles can be applied to the debate over the optimal recall intervals for children: "Total sight or all else is desolation." Piecemeal considerations such as the patient's caries prevalence or the rate of progression of a carious lesion, on their own, are insufficient to determine the optimal time for a recall examination. Only a regular, comprehensive examination permits the dentist to understand and apply the ecological model--how best to reduce the incidence of a oral disease and how best to care for or alleviate a disease process. This knowledge permits a practitioner to customize, to individualize his decisions with respect to frequency of examination, and when and where to apply preventive and/or treatment regimens. This applies to the management of dental caries, periodontal conditions, and growth and development problems of the dental/oral-facial complex. A practitioner can only manage the whole patient-as opposed to just the disease entity-by individualizing the frequency of recall examinations. Similarly, we can only implement optimal preventive measures-and ethically postpone invasive procedures-by individualizing recall examinations.
约翰·福尔斯的一句名言可以应用于关于儿童最佳复诊间隔的争论：“只见全貌或一无所有，皆为荒凉。”诸如患者的龋齿患病率或龋损进展速度等片面的考量因素，仅凭自身不足以确定复诊检查的最佳时间。只有定期进行全面检查，牙医才能理解并应用生态模型——如何最好地降低口腔疾病的发病率，以及如何最好地护理或缓解疾病进程。这些知识使从业者能够根据检查频率、何时何地应用预防和/或治疗方案来定制并个性化自己的决策。这适用于龋齿、牙周状况以及牙/口腔-面部复合体的生长发育问题的管理。从业者只有通过个性化复诊检查的频率，才能管理整个患者——而不仅仅是疾病实体。同样，我们只有通过个性化复诊检查，才能实施最佳的预防措施，并在伦理上推迟侵入性治疗程序。
