All About Dental Sealants
Why do we brush and floss our teeth and attend semi-annual dentist checkups? To prevent cavities! But what if we told you there was another simple and convenient way to protect your smile? Let’s talk about dental sealants! We want to discuss the most common questions associated with dental sealants and explore their primary benefits. Please keep reading to learn more!
What Are Dental Sealants?
Dental sealants are a form of medical-grade resin that professionals can apply to our teeth during cleaning or checkup. Starting as a liquid, we will brush dental sealants onto the patient’s teeth and use a UV light to harden the material. This process will create a thin, plastic-like coating across the top of your molars. Once they dry completely, they are transparent and undetectable inside the mouth.
Our molars are full of natural grooves, which can cause food and bacteria to remain trapped in deeper layers, even with proper brushing habits. Thankfully, dental sealants can protect the tooth by creating a barrier and filling deep crevices to create a smoother tooth surface. Since fewer bacteria will directly contact the tooth, dental sealants are an excellent resource to combat cavities and tooth decay.
Dental Sealants for Kids
Children of all ages can benefit from dental sealants! Most kids will see their first set of molars around the age of six, and their second molars will appear around the age of twelve. As soon as the permanent molars fully grow in their proper place, it’s time to consider dental sealants. While most children do not require dental sealants on baby teeth, your dentist may recommend this step if your little one has deep grooves within their baby teeth.
We only have one set of teeth and should do everything in our power to protect them! Think of dental sealants as a preventative measure. Sometimes children forget to brush their teeth or indulge in a little too much candy. Dental sealants add an extra layer of protection to ensure their molars remain in excellent condition — well into adulthood! Our team at Texas Tiny Teeth specializes in children’s dental sealants and can assess your little one’s molar growth to identify when they should begin treatment.
What are the benefits of Dental Sealants?
Dental sealants do SO much more than prevent cavities! Here are some of the primary benefits our patients and their parents can look forward to:
1. Help Prevent Cavities
What’s the last thing every patient wants to hear at their dentist appointment? “You have a cavity!” Once your dentist makes this discovery, additional treatments are almost always necessary. However, you can avoid cavity fillings and crowns using dental sealants! Since they prevent cavities, they also prevent long-term damage and unwanted dentist appointments.
2. Durable
We use our teeth to speak, drink, and chow down on all kinds of delicious food. Thankfully, dental sealants are highly durable! Once they dry, you do not have to excessively worry about damaging them while you eat and drink your favorite snacks because dental sealants will last for years if you take care of them properly.
3. Easy and Painless Application
You don’t have to worry about an extensive, difficult appointment if your child is ready for dental sealants. In fact, the application process will feel like a breeze! After we complete their regular cleaning and checkup, our team will brush and cure the dental sealants onto your child’s teeth. It is a painless treatment and will take less than fifteen minutes!
4. Insurance Coverage
While this can vary depending on your dental insurance, most major insurers cover children’s dental sealants. Since it is a preventative treatment, they commonly cover all, or a significant portion, of the associated cost. However, we always recommend checking with your insurance company first to explore your options and see their specific guidelines!
How Long Do Dental Sealants Last?
With all these incredible benefits, we wish dental sealants lasted forever! While they eventually wear off, they are still a long-term preventative treatment. According to the CDC, dental sealants can prevent up to 80% of cavities for two years and 50% of cavities for four years. So essentially, your child is just one appointment away from YEARS of cavity protection!
Can Adults Get Dental Sealants?
While most people receive dental sealants in adolescence, adults can also benefit from this treatment. Most people’s oral care habits improve with age, making dental sealants less of a necessity, but our molars remain grooved well into adulthood. In fact, cavities most commonly appear in molars, so adding a protective layer never hurts, regardless of your age!
How Do You Take Care of Dental Sealants?
When our team applies dental sealants, we recommend our patients care for them the same way they care for their teeth! Here are our top recommendations to increase the longevity of your dental sealants:
Brush your teeth in the morning & at night
Floss & use fluoride-based mouthwash once a day
Avoid frequently eating extremely sticky or hard foods
Remember to schedule semi-annual checkups at Texas Tiny Teeth
If you follow these easy tips, your dental sealants will last for years! However, please feel free to call your preferred Texas Tiny Teeth location if you have any questions or concerns. Our team is happy to provide additional clarity!
Dental Sealants in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas
Do you think your child could benefit from dental sealants? Please give us a visit! Our team is happy to assist you, and we love helping your little one’s teeth remain healthy and strong. Please click the link to book an appointment, and make sure to leave a note letting us know that you are interested in dental sealants. We look forward to seeing you soon!