Start 2022 Fighting Cavities with Dental Sealants

With the new year here, you may be looking to start protecting your child’s teeth from cavities. Dental sealants are one way that can help achieve this goal with pain free ease–they’re an excellent choice for children!

Because of the natural shape of growing teeth, children are prone to cavities. When first molars come in around age 6, deep crevices called pits and fissures form on the chewing surfaces of these back teeth. Dental sealants prevent pit and fissure cavities in children.

Although sealants are commonly recommended for children and teenagers, they are also a good preventative treatment for adult patients with no tooth decay or fillings in their back teeth. Prevention is the best approach to keeping your oral health in optimum shape. Contact Li’l Sunshine Smiles at 813-576-0200 for a consultation!

Understanding How Dental Sealants Work

Dental sealants are thin, plastic coatings applied to the grooves of a person’s molars. If they’re young enough, children can have them put on in their dentist’s office when they get their teeth cleaned. It takes just a few minutes and is painless for most people.

The American Dental Association recommends having your child’s teeth sealed during routine cleanings when your dentist or dental hygienist think it is necessary. However, you can ask to have sealants applied even if no cavities are found.

An increasing number of states require sealants for children entering kindergarten or seventh grade, when they’re most likely to get cavities. If your state doesn’t mandate this type of preventive measure in your child’s school dental program, consider asking his school nurse to recommend that he get sealants during routine checkups.

How Long Will Sealants Protect Teeth?

Since everyone’s teeth and gums are different, there isn’t a single recipe for how many years a person’s molars will remain cavity-free after getting sealed. Some people might need more than one set of sealants throughout their lives while others may never need them again after the first application.

Can Adults Get Dental Sealants?

Many dentists and dental hygienists do not believe that sealants are effective in adults because they typically have more cavities, gum disease and tooth loss than children, so they may need more extensive treatment. That’s why most people who get sealants when they’re young still need to go through routine cleanings when adult teeth come in so their dentist can check for early signs of decay .

You should know that the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs doesn’t recommend using dental sealants on molars with existing damage or cavities deeper than 5mm because these people are at high risk for developing new cavities underneath the sealant areas. If your child needs to get another cavity filled after getting sealed, ask your dentist about applying another sealant on the new cavity.

Li’l Sunshine Smiles Dentistry offers sealants and other preventive services for patients who want to keep their teeth healthy and strong throughout their lives. For more information on our clinic’s products and services, visit us online today .

Call Today for a Dental Sealant Appointment

Oral health is a group effort.  A visit to your Li’l Sunshine Smiles dental home can help you learn more about treatments to keep smiles bright and white.  Dental sealants were invented in the 1960s and endorsed by the National Institutes of Health, the CDC and the United States Surgeon General in 1983. Call to schedule an appointment at 813-576-0200!