Dental sealants are a type of preventive dentistry. They are designed to protect your teeth from developing areas of decay. The process of applying sealants is simple and takes only a few minutes during a routine visit to the dentist.
How Dental Sealants Work
A dental sealant works like a raincoat. It creates a protective layer between your teeth and the bacteria. Sealants serve as an extra barrier from plaque acids that cause cavities. To apply sealants, the dentist dries your teeth with pressurized air. An acidic gel is applied to prepare the tooth for the sealant material. The tooth is dried again. The sealant is painted on as a liquid. A special light is shone over the sealant to harden it.
Who Should Get Dental Sealants
A child can get sealants once their permanent molars have erupted. This takes place between the ages of 6 and 14. In some cases, a dentist may recommend sealants on baby teeth. This can be the case if the baby teeth have pits or deep grooves. Adults with no cavities may also benefit from sealants on their molars.
Benefits of Dental Sealants
Getting sealants is a preventive procedure to protect your teeth from decay. Because the molars can be difficult to reach with a toothbrush, the sealants provide an extra means of protection from food debris that can get trapped in their pits and grooves. This means that you may be able to avoid losing your natural tooth structure. By avoiding dental decay, you will not need restorations such as dental fillings. Keeping a child’s baby teeth healthy by preventing decay also promotes healthy permanent teeth. Baby teeth are important for the proper spacing of the adult teeth.
Aneta Choma-Dlouchy, DDS, is the natural choice when you need dental sealants. Contact us today to get started.
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