The shared vision for ICDAS is:  ¤ ICDAS is a clinical scoring system for use in dental education,  clinical practice, research, and epidemiology.  ¤ ICDAS is designed to: lead to better quality information to inform  decisions about appropriate diagnosis, prognosis, and clinical  management at both the indivdual and public health levels.  and  ¤ ICDAS provides a framework to support and enable personalised   total caries management for improved long term health outcomes.

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In order to use the ICDAS criteria in clinical research the following conditions are essential to enable examiners to assess each of the caries codes accurately: overhead operating light; cleaned teeth and compressed air.


Explanation to the table
 

Column 1: Scores 0 1 2 3 4 4 (5) 4 (6)	Relationship between scores 0-6 in the table and histological depth Histoloical depth No enamel demineralization or a narrow surface zone of opacity (edge phenomenon Enamel demineralization limited to the outer 50% of the enamel layer Demineralization involving between 50% of the enamel and 1/3 of the dentine Demineralization involving the middle 1/3 of the dentine, clinically microcavitated Demineralization involving the middle 1/3 of the dentine, clinically shadowed Demineralization involving the inner 1/3 of dentine± into the pulp, clinically cavitated but the cavitation < ½ the surface Demineralization involving the inner 1/3 of dentine± into the pulp, clinically cavitated but the cavitation > ½ the surface See table at the end of this page Modified from Ekstrand et al., 1997
Column 2:	Terms for the visual apperance for increasing severity stages of caries for professionals
Column 3	Related scores to coulmn 2
Column 4:	Activity assessment posibilities for the scores in column 3 and thus also column 2. +=active lesion;- =arrested lesion
Column 5:	Scores for radiographical classification of lesion severity:
	0=no radiolucency
	1= radiolucency in outer ½ of the enamel
	2= radiolucency in inner ½ of the enamel± EDJ
	3= radiolucency limited to the outer 1/3 of dentine
	4= radiolucency reaching the middle 1/3 of dentine
	5= radiolucency reaching the inner 1/3 of dentine, clinically cavitated
	6= radiolucency into the pulp, clinically cavitated
Column 6:	Scores for Fibre-optic translumination (FOTI); classification of lesion severity: Proximal and occlusal
	0= no shadow or stained area
	1= Lesion stays the same width when transilluminated/Thin grey shadow into enamel when transilluminated
	2= Wide grey shadow into enamel when transilluminated
	3= Wide grey shadow into enamel with no evidence of dentine shadow
	4= Orange/brown or bluish/black shadow < 2mm in width
	5= Shadow as described above and/or transillumination light is blocked > 2mm in width
	6= Large area of frank cavitation with likely pulpal involvement
Column 7:	Scores for ECM; classification of lesion severity: Only occlusal
	0= -0.45-1.0
	1= 1.1-3.0
	2= 3.1-9.0
	3= 9.1-12.0, clinically ±microcavitated
	4= 9.1-12.0 Clinically shadowed
	5= >12 Clinically cavitated but < ½ the surface
	6= > 12 Clinically cavitated but > ½ the surface
Column 8:	Yet to be established
Column 9:	Risk assessment:h=high, m=medium, l=low
Column 10:	Yet to be established
Column 11:	PTO = Preventive treatment option; OTO = Operative treatment option
Column 12:	p = progressing; a = arrested; r = regressing
Table