Dental Sealants: Who Needs Them?
If you’re looking for a way to protect your teeth beyond daily brushing and flossing, our Jackson, MI, dentists can introduce you to dental sealants. Great for all ages, sealants help give your oral hygiene routine a leg up by working to fend off cavity-causing decay.
Here’s what else you need to know about and their associated benefits.
How Dental Sealants Work
A dental sealant is a non-invasive, plastic coating that is brushed onto the chewing surfaces of back teeth, or molars. They may seem simple compared to other dental procedures, but sealants are capable of protecting your smile for years.
Once performed, the dental sealant procedure is designed to prevent decay from entering the fine grooves and pits located on molars. These narrow, hard-to-clean “fissures” are commonly found on back teeth which makes them especially susceptible to cavities. Even the bristles of a toothbrush may not be able to reach inside these areas to properly get rid of any plaque or food particles.
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This is where dental sealants come in. Our dentists will gently apply them to your back molars so there is a smooth surface that covers the grooved and pitted areas. You can think of sealants like an umbrella for your teeth. Similar to how regular umbrellas protect you from the rain, sealants will work to keep out decay.
Who Qualifies for Sealants
Because of how well sealants act as a shield against cavities, many dentists, including ours, recommend they be placed on the molars of children and teenagers once they appear. However, this doesn’t mean that they aren’t also effective when used with adults.
Some adults are more prone to cavity formation than others depending on how deep the fissures are on their back teeth. To help prevent the need for a tooth-colored filling or dental crown in the future, our dentists can apply sealants during a routine teeth cleaning.
Top Benefits and What to Expect Procedure-Wise
Aside from their ability to , sealants are also:
- Less expensive than fillings.
- Applied quickly and painlessly in one visit.
- Proven to last for up to 10 years with proper oral hygiene.
- Simple to repair or maintain.
If you’re interested in having sealants applied to your or your child’s teeth, our dentists will start by preparing your molars. Your tooth will be cleaned and dried before an acid solution is used to roughen the chewing surface. This part of the process ensures the sealant forms a strong bond to your tooth.
Next, our dentists will rinse and dry the tooth/teeth again before brushing the sealant onto the tooth enamel. Here it will begin to bond directly to the tooth and harden. Once it has become a hard plastic coating, you are free to chew on the tooth and go about your day.
Treat Your Teeth to Extra Protection
It never hurts to better prepare your smile for the fight against cavities. This is even more true if our dentists in Jackson, MI, find that you or your child are prone to tooth decay. Sealants are painless when applied and can last for many years with good care. Call The Dental Experience today at (517) 787-5367 to request an appointment and learn more about the .
This blog post has been updated.