Cavity Dragons Pro (iOs) Review

It’s no secret that young kids love electronics. It seems like most tots can work an iPad almost before they can walk. It’s obviously a platform that appeals to kids, so it makes sense to use it for education as well as entertainment. Cavity Dragons Pro looks to harness that idea by using a fast paced and colorful game to get youngsters excited about taking care of their teeth.

The basic premise in Cavity Dragons Pro involves a couple of dragons on a giant set of teeth. The dragons throw things like popcorn, candy, and small fires all over the shiny white teeth.  The player controls two little firemen at the bottom of the screen, who are tasked with spraying the teeth clean before cavities can appear.  Simply tap the cavity-causing items as they appear to guide the firemen in spraying them off. You’ll have to move quickly though, because as the game advances more and more things will appear.

If you don’t spray off the food or fires quickly enough, they will turn into a cavity. Cavities can be sprayed off as well, but they need to be sprayed twice before they’ll disappear. The level ends when the dragons become frustrated with your good cleaning and leave the teeth (giving you a win), or the cavities start to overtake the teeth (meaning you’ll have to try again). In addition to that type of level, there are also a few other types of tooth-related games. In one, you’ll need to brush the set of teeth and gums thoroughly with a giant toothbrush until every tooth gleams and the gums are a healthy color. When everything is 100% healthy, you’ll move on to the next level.

There are also quick hands type levels, where you must watch as a series of images move by, tapping quickly to catch those cavity dragons whenever they pop up. For the most part, each type of level is fairly challenging, but not too frustrating for the young ages they are meant for. It really does get kids excited about furiously cleaning those teeth, although how well that translates to actual teeth brushing has yet to be seen. It does get the point across that even healthy foods can cause cavities if left on teeth, and that brushing and flossing take more than a few seconds to be done well, so I think Cavity Dragons Pro does what it sets out to do, in a colorful, kid-friendly style.

At $2.99, Cavity Dragons Pro isn’t a freebie game, but you get what you pay for in terms of educational value – particularly if you’re trying to get across a good message on brushing teeth. It is colorful and appealing for young kids, and offers enough of a challenge to keep trying without being too frustrating. The levels are fast-paced, but things do feel pretty repetitive after a while, so it’s a better bet as part of a rotation of educational games than as something to hold their attention for long periods of time.