Children are young and love sweets, but they are careless when brushing their teeth. Parents often feel helpless when it comes to reducing the risk of cavities in their children. Professional pediatric dentists have four great tips to help prevent cavities.
Tip 1:
Use "plaque disclosing tablets" to reveal plaque. After your child finishes brushing, have them chew one of these tablets for 1 minute, then rinse their mouth with water. The areas with plaque on the teeth will be stained red, while the clean areas remain unaffected. Letting your child see the results of their brushing can boost their motivation to brush more carefully.
Tip 2:
"Pit and fissure sealants" clean hard-to-reach areas. The chewing surfaces of a child's back teeth have many small grooves and pits. After eating sticky foods, these areas become traps for food debris that are difficult to clean, and they are often the most prone to cavities in children. Dentists can use a method called "pit and fissure sealants" to prevent cavities in these grooves. This technique is most suitable for children's primary molars and the first permanent molars, known as "six-year molars."
Tip 3:
"Fluoride varnish" puts a protective coat on teeth. This method is simple, effective, safe, and economical. It can effectively resist the threat of "sugar-coated bullets" and reduce the occurrence of cavities. It is generally applied twice a year and is especially suitable for preventing cavities in young children.
Tip 4:
Use the SCAT method to test a child's risk of cavities. Every child has a different susceptibility to cavities. You can use the SCAT method, developed by Professor Shi Sizhen, to conduct a quick test on your child. If the test result is strongly positive, it requires close attention, and multiple methods should be used to prevent cavities.