Dental Sealants: Shielding Your Kids’ Teeth From Decay

You’ve trained your children well on how they can take good care of their teeth and gums. Congratulations!

They’re now brushing on schedule without the drama. They’re flossing, and you don’t even have to sing and dance just to cajole them to do it like before. The trips to the dentist have become smoother and easier each year. Thanks to the surftasticly fun environment at Surfside Kids Dental, they may even volunteer to go first in the dentist’s chair.

However – and here comes the sobering news – following good dental care habits is often not enough to make sure your little one’s smiles are 100 percent free from damage. Cavities can happen even in the teeth of the most disciplined families. That’s because brushing and flossing alone are not enough. Teeth, especially the molars, have nooks and crannies that regular brushing won’t be able to reach. Food particles and bacteria can remain in these hard-to-reach areas, causing plaque and cavity build-up.

So what can you do to further protect your children’s teeth? When they turn six years old, you can start asking the dentist if your kids are ready for dental sealants.

Why Dental Sealants are Amazing

Sealants, as the name suggests, act as a protective coating that prevents foreign particles from getting into the grooves and crannies of the teeth. The American Dental Association says sealants can lower the risk of molar teeth decay by as much as 80 percent. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also highly recommend sealants for school-age children. In a 2016 report, the CDC says children ages 6 to 11 years old that do not have sealants suffer from three times more cavities than their peers who have sealants.

Typically, the dentist will choose to apply sealant first to teeth that already show signs of developing decay. Back teeth and molars are the usual areas of application, but it will still depend on the state of your child’s teeth and the dentist’s assessment.

The sealant is usually made of a thin material made of plastic and other dental materials. The dentist bonds it to tooth surfaces used for chewing. A special blue light will be applied to harden the sealant, which will be buffed afterward. The result is a smoother and flatter surface, free of grooves where food particles may get stuck. With the application of the sealant, the tooth becomes easier to clean.

Dental sealants are one of the simplest, most affordable yet most effective ways to provide your kids with long-term protection against tooth decay. Your dental insurance is likely to cover some or all of the procedure. The application procedure is quick and easy. It is completed in one visit, and the patient can resume normal activities immediately after the session. We just ask that your child avoid sticky, hard foods for the first 24 hours. Dental Sealants can last for five years or more, with proper care and maintenance. To learn more about the procedure, costs and other details about dental sealants for your family, ask your trusted dentist in Elk Grove today.

See you in the line up!