Cavities and young children often go hand in hand. Inconsistent brushing, sweet cravings, and a dislike for the Kailua pediatric dentist make up a perfect recipe for tooth decay, which impacts your child’s smile and causes pain and discomfort.
With proper oral hygiene habits, the ghost of tooth decay can easily be forgotten. Nevertheless, if your child struggles with brushing, your pediatric dentist may recommend dental sealants for extra protection. Here, we’ll explain all of the benefits of this treatment.
What Are Dental Sealants?
Dental sealants are thin protective coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of molars and premolars to help prevent tooth decay. These back teeth are more vulnerable to cavities because of their deep pits and grooves, which make it easy for plaque to build up. By covering those areas, dentists can stop decay, keep the area clean, and prevent early tooth loss.
Children between the ages of 6 and 14 are advised to get sealants, especially if they’re at a high risk of developing cavities. Tooth decay is three times more likely to occur in kids between the ages of 6 and 11 who do not have dental sealants.
Sealants can also be a great investment for your child’s oral health, lowering the likelihood of them requiring more invasive dental work in the future. Additionally, they last about five years, accompanying their dental growth!
While sealants are primarily for younger kids, older children and adults can also receive them for extra protection.
The Process for Applying Dental Sealants
Applying dental sealants is a simple, non-invasive procedure requiring little preparation. There’s nothing you need to do to prepare for the process. Your dentist or hygienist will place them during a routine office visit, and there will be no downtime, allowing your child to resume eating all of their favorite foods immediately.
Before applying sealants, we will thoroughly clean their teeth. This helps to keep bacteria from getting trapped between the sealant material and the tooth surfaces. Then, we will:
- Cover the area with cotton gauze to keep the surfaces dry.
- Apply a tiny bit of an acid etching solution to the teeth’s chewing surfaces to create a rougher surface for the sealants to adhere to.
- Wash your teeth and pat them dry.
- Paint the sealant material onto your enamel, which will adhere directly to the tooth.
- Use a curing light to harden the sealant material.
It is a simple and painless process that only takes a few minutes for each tooth.
What Are the Risks of Dental Sealants?
Dental sealants themselves pose no health risks. However, proper examination for decay before application is critical. Without thorough pre-screening, existing caries may go undetected beneath sealants, potentially leading to more extensive treatment later—including complex fillings, root canal therapy, or even extraction of teeth that might otherwise have been preserved with early intervention.
Furthermore, precise application techniques are essential. Improperly placed sealants may either trap existing bacteria beneath the material—allowing decay to progress undetected—or create microscopic ledges along the margins that become collection points for food debris and plaque, ultimately increasing cavity risk rather than preventing it.
Finally, some patients reduce their oral hygiene diligence because the presence of sealants gives them a false sense of safety. Instructing your child to continue brushing and flossing daily is essential. Sealants protect teeth from decay, but they’re not a replacement for proper oral care.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are a safe, affordable, and highly effective tool for preventing tooth decay. Combined with other preventive measures like fluoride treatments and good oral hygiene, they offer long-term protection and help reduce disparities in oral health care.
If you’re still unsure whether this treatment is right for your child, we’ve answered some common questions about dental sealants.
Are Sealants a Common Procedure?
Yes, they are. In fact, sealants are one of the most commonly used preventive dentistry treatments today. Approximately 48% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 and 42% of children aged 6 to 11 in the United States have dental sealants on their adult teeth.
Can Anyone Get Dental Sealants?
Sadly, not everyone can get dental sealants. Children with partially erupted (grown-in) teeth will not benefit from sealants, and dentists won’t apply sealants to teeth with fillings or crowns, either. Sealants are not only unnecessary in these situations but also ineffective.
What Are Dental Sealants Made of?
Manufacturers create sealants from a variety of materials, including medical-grade:
- Plant or synthetic resins.
- Glass ionomers, which consist of a water-soluble acid mixed with glass powder.
How Can My Child Take Care of Their Sealants?
Dental sealants are easy to care for. They can be brushed and flossed as normal. Use toothpaste containing fluoride and a toothbrush with soft bristles.
Diets heavy in tea, colored candies, and berries may stain sealants. Additionally, they may “pop” off when eating chewy, sticky, or gummy foods. Sealants may have a shorter lifespan if your child clenches or grinds their teeth.
Can Dental Sealants Be Removed?
Yes, it is possible to remove sealants quickly and easily. Using a laser or a dental drill, the material is carefully removed, leaving the healthy tooth underneath intact. Removing the sealant may be necessary if:
- There are chips or cracks in the sealants.
- The sealants are improperly placed.
- There’s decay underneath.
- To reseal the tooth with a ceramic sealant.
However, once placed, sealants are typically left undisturbed unless a dentist identifies a problem or if the patient (or parent) specifically requests a replacement.
Protect Your Child’s Oral Health with a Kailua Pediatric Dentist
Diligent oral hygiene is the only secret to a healthy mouth. It removes plaque, food, and debris from the smooth surfaces of your teeth, keeping them clean and preventing decay. However, when teeth like molars have deep nooks and crannies, ensuring their cleanliness can be hard—especially for kids!
With sealants at Kidshine Pediatric Dentistry, we can shield these vulnerable areas from cavities and keep bacteria away from your child’s smile. Contact us today to learn more!