Dental Sealants

Your dentist discussed placing dental sealants on your child’s teeth.

What are they and how do they help?

Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that are applied to the chewing surface, in the pits and grooves on back teeth where decay happens most often. Brushing and flossing help remove plaque from most surfaces of teeth, but often the bristles of a toothbrush are not able to clean all the way into the deep grooves. A child tends to brush faster and not a thorough, there for leaving more areas dirty, giving them a chance to decay. Dental sealants protect by “sealing” these grooves allowing it be easier to keep clean from food and plaque. It is for this reason that many dentists will suggest applying sealants especially on young children.   Sealants are quite easy for your dentist or their staff to apply. The teeth get cleaned thoroughly with a paste and then a pre-wash solution. Then a flowable plastic get painted onto your tooth enamel where it bonds with your teeth and hardens with help of a special curing light. As long as the sealant remains undamaged, it will protect your teeth from decay, and the best part sealants can last for up to 10 years. Dental sealants are a fast, easy, pain free process that can help prevent future problems or dental work.

Routine check-ups and cleaning with help the Dentist and the dental staff, they will monitor the sealants. Checking that everything is still in good shape and there is no wear and tear. And if there is, it’s a simple process to repeat.

If you are interested in dental sealants, or have any questions give us a call!

… Because teeth have feelings to.