Check kids’ first molar for cavity risk
Permanent molars with cavities in the first year may reveal a pattern which identifies kids at “high risk” for cavities and allows dentists to concentrate on prevention, reports the Academy of General Dentistry, an organization of general dentists dedicated to continuing dental education.
Recent studies show that children whose first molar required dental restoration shortly after it emerged had a 40 percent to 70 percent chance of needing work in another molar during the next two years. But early restoration of a molar did not indicate that other teeth, such as incisors, canines or the smooth surfaces of any tooth would need restoring.
“If a child’s first molar needs to be repaired, this is definitely a sign that this person is at risk for more cavities later on,” says Douglas Mougey, DDS, and Academy spokesperson.
Molars are among the first teeth to erupt after primary teeth.
