23
Jul
Dental sealants provide excellent protection against cavities and deterioration. Tooth decay is one of the most prevalent issues dentists encounter. Many adults develop several cavities during their lifetimes. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 90% of people over 20 will experience cavities at some point. Over half of all adolescents develop dental caries and require professional treatment during their teenage years. Dental sealants can effectively halt tooth decay and early dental caries in their tracks.
An Overview of Dental Sealants
A dental sealant is a protective coating applied to the chewing surfaces of back teeth, such as premolars and molars. Teeth's pits and grooves are ideal hiding spots for food particles and cavity-causing bacteria, which are often too small to be cleaned thoroughly with a toothbrush. Dental sealants protect teeth from acid and plaque by forming a protective barrier around the enamel.
Sealants, usually tooth-colored or clear, are made of resin and brushed onto teeth. As the liquid sealant sets, it forms a strong bond with the tooth grooves, sealing them off and providing a barrier against further damage. This protective layer prevents bacteria and food particles from reaching the enamel and causing cavities.
How Dental Sealants Prevent Tooth Decay
Dentists offer various dental care options to help maintain healthy, beautifully white teeth. However, cavities remain the most common issue they deal with. Even people who care enough to avoid cavities, like children and adults, can develop them. If left untreated for too long, a cavity can progress into an abscess, causing excruciating pain, suffering, and possible tooth loss.
Fortunately, dental sealants can help prevent cavities. They can keep minor cavities from becoming significant problems. Applying the sealant is straightforward and painless, and it offers numerous advantages.
Here are the three most essential ways dental sealants prevent cavities:
Acts as a Protective Barrier
People consume various meals daily to maintain a healthy diet. Even wellness enthusiasts' diets likely contain some sugar. When sugar combines with harmful dental bacteria, it forms an acid that can dissolve tooth enamel.
If you don't brush and floss at least twice daily, mouth acid can erode your enamel. Demineralization occurs when acid dissolves minerals on the tooth's surface. Excessive acid wears down enamel. This makes teeth more susceptible to decay. Dental sealants provide additional protection against plaque and oral acid attacks. While a healthy diet prevents cavities, a protective coating helps significantly. Both adults and children can greatly improve their oral health with dental sealants.
They Make Tooth Cleaning Easier
Dentists apply dental sealant to premolars and molars, focusing primarily on teeth used for chewing, crushing, and grinding food. These teeth have deep grooves and nooks that aid in proper function and efficient meal processing. However, these crevices can trap food particles, potentially leading to cavities.
While proper brushing can remove most stuck-on food particles, plaque can form when particles remain in crevices and mix with bacteria. Extended exposure to plaque can wear down tooth enamel, resulting in cavities.
Fortunately, dental sealants address this issue by covering the deep grooves on tooth surfaces. Teeth retain their natural contours, facilitating easier eating while simplifying food remnant removal. This process reduces the likelihood of cavities and helps maintain good dental health.
They Provide Years of Protection
Dental sealants cannot prevent tooth decay permanently. Proper application and maintenance ensure long-lasting protection. Therefore, regular dental check-ups should be scheduled to repair and reseal chipped or damaged areas. Dental sealants usually last for three to five years. They have a maximum lifespan of around ten years. Proper application is crucial to ensure a lasting bond.
Remaining as still as possible allows the dentist to thoroughly dry and clean your teeth before applying the sealant. Some patients tend to fidget due to an active tongue, sensitive gag reflex, or severe dental anxiety. If this describes you, your dentist might recommend sedation dentistry to ease anxiety during treatment.
Dental sealants are one of the best preventive dental care options. This method offers several benefits, including avoiding costly restorative procedures. Therefore, it's a worthwhile investment for both children and adults.
How Are Dental Sealants Applied?
Dental sealants are applied to premolars and molars to protect them from food debris, plaque, and bacteria buildup. They shield the enamel, making it easier to clean the depressions of the rear teeth. Dental sealants also reduce the likelihood of cavities by acting as a barrier between the tooth enamel and the cavity-causing bacteria.
As mentioned earlier, your child's dentist might recommend applying sealants shortly after the chewing surfaces of their back teeth become visible. During your consultation, your dentist will advise you on the best time to schedule an appointment.
If you are a suitable candidate for a dental sealant, the application procedure is simple and quick. The following is what you can expect from your treatment appointment:
First Evaluation
Your dentist will thoroughly examine your teeth to ensure they show no signs of decay before applying dental sealants. Any present decay must be treated before the sealant is applied to prevent further deterioration.
Making Preparations
After identifying which teeth require a sealant, the dentist will cleanse and dry them. The next step is to apply an acidic solution to etch the tooth enamel on the chewing surface, which improves the sealant's bonding ability.
Application
When the tooth is completely dry, and the solution is thoroughly rinsed off, the sealant substance is applied and flows into the teeth's grooves. This step involves using a curing light to harden the sealant, which typically ensures total protection for an extended period.
Benefits of Using Sealants to Prevent Tooth Decay
Despite popular assumption, dental sealants are not new in dentistry. They've been in existence since the mid-1960s. Sadly, many individuals remain unfamiliar with them. According to research, fewer than one-third of American children have had dental sealants applied as part of their dental preventative treatment.
Dental sealants are painless, fast, simple, and inexpensive solutions to prevent cavities. They also help prevent the need for costly or invasive treatments, such as crowns or fillings.
The following are some advantages of using a dental sealant:
They Offer Extensive Protection
Dental sealants have been demonstrated to prevent decay in molars by approximately 80%. Their protective nature allows them to withstand the stresses of chewing and remain intact for many years before needing to be reapplied.
Inexpensive Preventative Treatment
Sealants are a preventive intervention more cost-effective than the prospective investment required to fix a cavity. It is an investment in your dental health that will save you funds in the long term.
Little Discomfort and Intrusion
Sealants can be applied quickly, painlessly, and without anesthesia. The complete application process normally lasts only several minutes for each tooth.
Caring for Teeth With Dental Sealants
Although sealants are quite efficient, they are not impervious. That is why following a regular dental hygiene practice and seeing your dental professional for check-ups is critical. Sealants' durability varies, but with the proper dental care, they can safeguard teeth for years.
Floss and Brush Regularly
Despite the additional protection provided by sealants, daily brushing and flossing are still required. Proper oral hygiene prevents dental issues such as gum disease and bad breath.
Eat Healthy Meals and Drinks
Eating a well-balanced diet while avoiding sugary beverages and snacks may lower the likelihood of deterioration. Remember that sealants are an additional layer of protection and do not substitute a healthy lifestyle.
Get Regular Dental Examinations
Regular visits to the dentist are essential, whether you have sealants or not. The dentist can check the state of your sealants to ensure they offer adequate protection.
How Safe Are Dental Sealants?
Dentists increasingly stress the importance of parents scheduling appointments for their children to get dental sealants. However, some parents are still determining the safety of the substance used for sealing back teeth. Researching a technique's safety and health implications for your child is an expectation of any caring parent.
At this point, you better understand dental sealants' benefits and application techniques. The remaining issue is whether the materials used pose any health risks to your loved ones.
Children and adults can safely use dental sealants. You can rest easy knowing your child will not experience intrusive procedures because the sealant is applied to the tooth's surface. The sealing substance is medical-grade resin. It resembles a composite or white filling when used in therapeutic dental operations. A dental sealant differs primarily from a dental filler in its flexibility, which allows it to seal the molars' fissures and grooves more easily.
Scheduling your or your loved one's procedure has no significant drawbacks. Don't worry about sealants eventually chipping or wearing down. Your dentist will inspect the affected areas during regular visits and fix or reapply the sealant as needed, ensuring long-term protection.
The only real drawback is that dental sealants are temporary. The material will eventually thin, even with regular maintenance. However, their ability to last up to ten years makes them a great investment for your child's dental health.
Oral hygiene can affect your child in virtually every aspect of life. Tooth decay is a major health concern, disrupting normal eating and sleeping patterns and making it difficult to focus in class. You can help your child thrive by preventing serious cavities.
Should I Get Dental Sealants?
After reading about the advantages of dental sealants, you might wonder if the procedure is right for you. Dental sealants are ideal for younger patients with healthy tooth enamel. Adult patients without cavities or fillings in their permanent teeth (premolars and molars) are also good candidates.
Schedule dental sealant appointments for children as soon as their permanent teeth begin to erupt. Children's susceptibility to cavities increases between ages six and fourteen, so it's wise to protect teeth while they're still healthy and strong.
If you notice deep grooves or depressions in a child's baby teeth, have your dentist check them. Applying a dental sealant may help protect young children's teeth. Sealants are crucial for maintaining proper spacing for permanent teeth and can reduce the likelihood of needing early tooth extractions.
Moreover, dental sealants are virtually invisible, blending seamlessly with your natural tooth color. This means you can enjoy the benefits of enhanced protection without any noticeable change to your smile's appearance.
Fluoride Versus Dental Sealants
Say you are currently using the best possible fluoride toothpaste. In an ideal world, your teeth and gums should be adequately protected as you floss and brush at least twice daily. However, will this be sufficient to prevent cavities?
Sadly, using fluoride alone is insufficient. Fluoride does an excellent job of protecting your child's teeth, but treatments function best when combined with dental sealants. Fluoride remineralizes the enamel, making it more durable and less susceptible to cavities. Sealants fill the depressions on the back of the teeth, reducing the likelihood of food particles or plaque accumulation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Sealants
Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about dental sealants:
How Long Does a Dental Sealant Last?
With proper maintenance, sealants can last up to ten years. Your dentist will assess your condition during regular appointments and suggest replacements whenever necessary.
Do I Need to Get Ready for Sealants?
Dental sealants don't require any special preparation on your part. Your dental professional or hygienist will apply them during a routine office appointment. They will thoroughly clean your teeth before applying the sealants, which helps prevent bacteria from being trapped between the sealant and the tooth surfaces. The application process is quick, painless, and non-invasive, making it an ideal preventive measure for patients of all ages, especially children and teenagers.
Is There Any Special Aftercare for Sealants?
No particular upkeep is required after applying sealants. Continue brushing, flossing, and seeing your dentist as usual. However, a few simple habits can significantly extend the life and effectiveness of your dental sealants. Avoiding excessive consumption of hard or sticky foods can prevent premature wear or damage to the sealants.
Additionally, refraining from grinding your teeth or biting on non-food items like pens will help maintain the integrity of the sealant. It's worth noting that while sealants are durable, they're not permanent. During your regular dental check-ups, your dentist will inspect the condition of your sealants and can easily reapply them if necessary. This proactive approach ensures continuous protection against tooth decay in vulnerable areas.
Are Dental Sealants Necessary?
If your dental professional recommends dental sealants, the decision is entirely yours. While this preventive step isn't mandatory, it can help you avoid cavities and may be beneficial. It's also worth noting that dental sealants are particularly effective for children and teenagers, who are often more prone to cavities. However, adults can benefit from them, too, especially those with deep grooves in their teeth or a history of frequent cavities.
Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to dental health. While sealants offer an excellent barrier against decay, they're just one part of a comprehensive oral care strategy. Regular dental check-ups, a balanced diet, and avoiding tobacco products all contribute to maintaining a healthy smile.
Ultimately, getting dental sealants should be based on your needs and risk factors. Discuss your concerns and questions with your dentist to make an informed choice that best suits your oral health goals.
Is It Possible to Apply Sealants Over Cavities?
Sealants cannot be placed over cavities because the tooth must be in good condition and free of deterioration before the dental sealant is applied. However, it's important to note that sealants can still play a crucial role in preventing future cavities in other areas of the tooth. Dentists often recommend a two-step approach: treating existing cavities first, then applying sealants to protect the remaining healthy tooth surfaces.
While sealants cannot reverse existing decay, they have been proven to reduce the risk of cavity formation by up to 80% in the first two years after application. This makes them an invaluable tool in preventive dentistry, especially for children and teenagers who are more prone to developing cavities.
Early detection and treatment of cavities can save patients time, pain, and expense in the long run. Regular dental check-ups are essential to identify potential issues early and determine the best course of action for each individual's oral health needs.
Do Dental Sealants Qualify for Insurance?
Dental sealant procedures are some of the most efficient preventative measures. As a result, many insurance policies cover the therapy and between 80 and 100 percent of the associated costs. However, check with your insurance provider for more specific dental insurance information.
Find a Professional Dentist Near Me
If you are ready to use dental sealants to improve your or your child's oral health, schedule an appointment with us today. At The Whittier Dentist, we believe prevention is better than cure. We offer reliable preventive services and a wide range of dental procedures to help you maintain a healthy smile for life.
We will be ready to guide your child and support them in achieving a lifetime of healthy, beautiful smiles. If you have dental concerns, want to schedule dental sealant treatments, or have additional questions, please contact us at 562-632-1223.
