Sara Magalhães

Caries prevention must begin before birth, by raising the awareness of future parents to the advantages of promoting oral health care from an early age.

Appointments  (which must begin during the first year of life) are important to provide parents with the appropriate information concerning eating habits and oral hygiene in each stage of the child’s development.

It is also important to identify risk factors, such as the presence of  plaque,  enamel defects,  systemic pathologies, use of chronic or frequent medication,  use of a pacifier with honey. Early diagnosis allows for  preventive measures that lead to an effective caries risk reduction.

Some of these measures (which help prevent the appearance of new lesions or the worsening of preexisting ones) are effective plaque removal, remineralization of white lesions and enamel defects with fluoride varnishes, elimination of harmful habits and a diet low in fermentable sugars .

Regular monitoring of children at this stage is a unique opportunity to build the future of their oral health.