What Does A Sealant Have To Do With Preventing Dental Decay?

A sealant is a plastic type of material that is applied to the back teeth (premolars and molars) on the chewing surfaces. The plastic bonds to depressions and grooves, pits and fissures of the tooth surface. The sealant acts much like a barrier and protects the enamel of the tooth from plaque and acids.

Brushing and flossing is great but cannot always reach the depressions our teeth contain. Food particles can get into these grooves and cavities can form there. The sealant can protect these areas by "sealing out" the food particles and plaque.

Applying a sealant is a three-step process. Your dentist or dental hygienist will first clean the teeth that are going to receive the sealant, with special toothpaste. They will put a special cleansing liquid, on a tiny piece of cotton, then rub it gently on the tooth wash it off. Finally, the sealant is painted on the tooth. The sealant hardens by the aid of a special curing light that speeds up the hardening process. As long as the sealant remains intact the tooth surface will be protected. Sealants will remain under normal chewing and usually last for years (5 to 10). Your dentists will check the condition of the sealants and reapply them if necessary. Check with your insurance carrier to see if they cover any of the cost of the sealant application.

Children are usually the ones to receive sealants, but adults can have them applied as well, should they wish to. Some insurance programs will only pay for children though, so you may wish to check with your insurance policy before having the procedure done.

Which Teeth and What Age?

Permanent molars are the teeth most vulnerable and full of grooves, so they are prime candidates for the sealant application. First molars appear in a child's mouth around age 6. Second molars appear in the child's mouth around age 12. The sealant should be applied soon after these molars appear, and before decay has a chance to appear. Children who are between 5 and 15 benefit most from sealant applications.

Can You See Sealants?

If you look closely sealants can be seen. Sealants can be clear, white, or slightly tinted. Sealants are used only on the back teeth, so you cannot see sealants when a child talks or smiles.

Will Sealants Make The Teeth Feel Different?

Like anything that is placed in the mouth and is new to the child, a child may notice them and feel them with their tongue. Sealants are very thin and they only fill the pits and grooves on molar teeth.

Sealants are not meant to replace the need for fluorides. Fluorides such as those we have in our community water supply, in our toothpaste, and in our mouth rinses also help to prevent tooth decay and must still be used in when we have sealants. Fluorides work on the smooth surfaces of the teeth and sealants work on the grooves and pits of the teeth. Fluorides and sealants work together to prevent tooth decay.