Protective Dental Sealants
When we apply a dental sealant, we paint a plastic coating on top of your teeth. This makes your teeth smooth getting rid of the rough edges, depressions, and grooves that are commonly found on teeth. It is essentially a protective coating against tooth decay and cavities.
The most common place to paint sealants is on back teeth since they are often irregular. They can also be very hard to reach, even if you brush your teeth regularly. We use it more on children though we do perform sealants on adults too!
Prevents Cavities
Research shows that dental sealants can reduce the risk of cavities by 80% in 2 years and 50% in 4 years. With proper care, sealants can last up to 9 years and are easy to replace. Children without sealants are three times more likely to get cavities. Applying sealants is as easy as painting on a liquid coating that hardens in about a minute. Sealants are like tiny plastic fillings and usually don't require numbing since tooth enamel doesn't have nerves.
- School-aged children
- Adults who are prone to cavities
- Individuals seeking additional protection against decay
A sealant is comparable to a small plastic filling, but numbing is typically not required as tooth enamel lacks nerves.
- Firstly, we will examine the tooth or teeth that require sealing. If any decay is found, we will remove it.
- Next, we will utilize a solution that enhances the bonding of the sealing material to your tooth surface.
- Finally, we will apply the sealant by carefully painting it onto the tooth and using a specialized curing light if needed. And that's all!
