What You Need To Know About Dental Sealants.

Aug 02, 2021

It’s a known fact that good brushing and flossing habits remain the best way to prevent cavities, but it may not always be easy to clean every part of your teeth, especially the back teeth used to chew called molars. However, there exists another safe option that can be used to help keep those teeth clean. It’s called a molar or dental sealant.

To help protect them from decay, plastic coatings called dental sealants are usually placed on the chewing surface of the permanent molars, and premolars.

They have a variety of uses, and there are both dental sealants for adults, and for kids as well. We have these dental sealants available for you at Concord Dental Group. Contact us today to make an appointment for dental sealant services.

Who Needs Dental Sealant Treatment?

Both children and teenagers are candidates for sealants because of the likelihood of developing decay in the depressions and grooves of the premolars and molars. However, this doesn’t mean that adults without decay or fillings in their molars could also benefit from the use of dental sealants.

Children should get sealants on their permanent molars and premolars as soon as these teeth come in. This way, the dental sealants can protect the teeth through the cavity-prone years of ages 6 to 14. In some cases, dental sealants may also be appropriate for baby teeth, when a child’s baby teeth have deep depressions and grooves. Because baby teeth play such an important role in holding the correct spacing for permanent teeth, it is important to keep these teeth healthy, so they are not lost too early.

The Dental Sealant Process.

Applying dental sealant is a simple and virtually painless process. It takes only a few minutes for your dentist or hygienist to apply the dental sealant to seal each tooth. The application steps are as follows:

  • First, the teeth that are to be sealed are thoroughly cleaned.
  • Each tooth is then dried, and cotton or another absorbent material is put around the tooth to keep it dry.
  • An acid solution is put on the chewing surfaces of the teeth to roughen them up, which helps the sealant bond to the teeth.
  • The teeth are then rinsed and dried.
  • Sealant is then painted onto the tooth enamel, where it bonds directly to the tooth and hardens. Sometimes a special curing light is used to help the sealant harden.

Can Dental Sealants Work for Sensitive Teeth?

One important use of sealants is for the treatment of sensitive teeth.

The purpose of a dental sealant is to prevent tooth decay. The sealant will connect to the grooves and dips in your teeth. The sealant forms a shield over the enamel of your teeth, protecting them.

Brushing and flossing can help you remove any remaining particles of food and plaque from the smooth surfaces of your teeth, however, it is very easy to miss the small nooks towards the back of your mouth where food can get stuck.

Sealants can work on protecting these especially vulnerable areas from developing tooth decay. It will do this by sealing the teeth and preventing plaque and food from getting in.

Taking Care of Dental Sealants

Sealed teeth require the same conscientious dental hygiene as unsealed teeth. Your child should continue to brush and floss his or her teeth daily and have regular professional cleanings. Checking for wear and tear on the sealants is important, though they should last for up to 10 years. During this time, your child will benefit from a preventive treatment proven to reduce decay by 80%.

While the incidence of cavities in children remains quite high, preventing cavities is always better than treating them, and it’s also much cheaper.

How Long Does a Dental Sealant Last?

Sealants can protect teeth from decay for up to 10 years, but they need to be checked for chipping or wearing at regular dental check-ups. Your dentist can replace sealants as necessary. Come visit us for your dental sealant procedure at Concord Dental Group.

Our dental office in Concord, NH also welcome patients from the below given nearby areas

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