Your Teeth and Sealants

If you have children, you have probably heard about sealants. Sealants are a great way to ‘seal' the teeth to help prevent tooth decay and cavities. This are put on your child's teeth at the dentist office, and in most cases, your dental insurance will cover this procedure. If you are not very familiar with sealants, here is some information about how these work and what they can do to protect the teeth.

If your dentist recommends sealants on your child's teeth, it is for the benefit of your child. The sealants are put in place to avoid tooth decay in the future. Putting sealants on now will certainly save pain and money in the long run by preventing cavities. Sealants are made of a thin plastic coating. This coating is actually a in a liquid form and are painted on the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Usually, the dentist will place these on teeth that are more prone to tooth decay, such as back molars. Sealants are painless and are easy to apply. In fact, if your child has sealants put on, this is usually done during a regular check up. Your child will not even realize they are in the teeth.

You might be interested to know that sealants are one of the most effective way in preventing tooth decay and cavities. Studies actually show that sealants are 100 percent effective in preventing tooth decay. Considering how many children get a cavity, sealants are certainly worth checking into. Sealants work because they offer a barrier between the tooth surface and the plaque and build up.

Sometimes your dentist might recommend putting sealant on baby teeth if those teeth have a lot of deep grooves that make brushing adequately difficult. However, most dentists will recommend sealants as soon as permanent molars begin coming in and before tooth decay happens. In general, the first set of permanent molars, also called six-year molars will come in around the ages of five and seven. After those come in, you can expect the second set of permanent molars to come in around the age of twelve. You dentist might also recommend that young adults who did not have sealants in place as a child have this procedure done.

When your child has sealants, these are made to stay in place for about ten years. Sometimes, the sealant can pop off and the dentist will simply have to replace the missing sealant. In addition, a sealant can chip and in that case, your dentist can make a quick repair in the office. There are usually no problems with sealants and most people that have them, do not even notice that they are there.

If you are still unsure about the benefits of using sealants to protect your child against tooth decay, then you should speak to your child's dentist. These have been used since the 60s and together with fluoride, regular dental check ups and brushing; they can help keep your child's teeth healthy for years to come.