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Kidd E. Dent Update 2012; 39: 159–166

'82% (of carious teeth analysed) exfoliated without the child attending the practice in pain' (Levine RS, Pitts NB et al. Br Dent J 2002; 193: 99–103). Yet this has to be balanced with another paper that reported half of children experience at least one episode of dental pain. There has been paradigm shift in the role of the dental care professional when facilitating children's oral health with advice now shared with the parents such as 'You can control caries by keeping these teeth clean' instead of 'I will cope with your child's caries by filling the tooth, you do not have to worry'. Besides this change in locus of control, traditional methods for substrate elimination such as fissure sealing, ART and stepwise excavation have been shaped by non-restorative cavity treatment (open the cavity for plaque control), partial caries removal (stepwise, but no re-entry) and the Hall Technique.