Prevent Cavities with Dental Sealants
When we prevent tooth decay, we are avoiding such treatment as fillings, crowns, and even dentures! In fact, you can prevent cavities with dental sealants. This is a super simple option, especially for kids, to keep the bacteria at bay.
What is a Sealant?
According to WebMD, “A Dental sealant is a thin, plastic coating painted on the chewing surfaces of teeth (usually the back teeth) – to prevent tooth decay.” Think of the way clear nail polish covers a nail. In a similar way, sealants cover a tooth’s biting surface and keeps bacteria out of the pits and fissures.
The Application
The application of dental sealants is a very fast and painless process.
- Etchant or Etch, is applied to the surface of the tooth that will be worked on. This prepares to tooth and helps the sealant material bond.
- Once the Etchant is washed away, the tooth will be thoroughly dried. If the tooth gets wet, the process must be restarted- so please keep your mouth open!
- The sealant is then added into the occlusal grooves of the teeth.
- Finally a special curing light is used to set and harden the material.
Should I Get Them?
For kid’s, sealants can be applied when the first molars erupt. The sooner the better for kids since it can be hard for them to properly clean their back teeth. Since we all have deep pits and fissures on our molars, adults are also great candidates. When you schedule your next appointment at Oceanside Dental ask us if you should get dental sealants. (760) 466-0776