Item 17:
What is the expected periodicity of dental exams in rating Item 17?
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends dental exams every 6 months that include oral screening, risk assessment, and preventive care for most children. Some children need more frequent dental visits because of increased risk factors such as increased rate of tooth decay, unusual growth patterns of teeth, or history of poor oral hygiene. When determining whether the frequency of dental visits is sufficient with a pattern of less than every 6 months, factors that should be considered include whether the last dental visit was within 1 year and whether there was no evidence of tooth decay or disease. When determining whether the frequency of dental visits should be more than every 6 months, factors that should be considered include whether the child has a history of decay or disease based on the results of the last dental visit or a history of poor oral hygiene.