Sir, while it was satisfying to see our recent paper1 summarised in the 9 November issue (page 463), the reviewer appears to have missed the main point of the article. The key finding was that, if we look for associations between root surface and coronal caries experience cross-sectionally at age 38, we do not find any; however, if we look at coronal caries through the life-course to that point, there is actually a strong association. All previous investigations had failed to find a relationship between coronal and root surface caries because they were cross-sectional. Our identification of high, medium and low life-course trajectories of coronal caries experience2 has enabled the relationship between the two to be uncovered at last.
References
Thomson W M, Broadbent J M, Foster Page L A, Poulton R . Antecedents and associations of root surface caries experience among 38-year-olds. Caries Res 2013; 47: 128–134.
Broadbent J M, Thomson W M, Poulton R . Trajectory patterns of dental caries experience in the permanent dentition to the fourth decade of life. J Dent Res 2008; 87: 69–72.
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Thomson, W. Restorative: Caries trajectories. Br Dent J 216, 2 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2013.1239
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2013.1239
