At your child’s last checkup, the dentist may have suggested dental sealants. If so, it’d be best to get them – the coatings will further protect your kiddo’s pearly whites. Still, you likely have some dental sealant questions you want to address first. Getting the answers to them would boost your confidence in treatment. Luckily, Smiles University Pediatric Dentistry can help with this task. Here are the answers to three popular sealant questions from a Bastrop dentist.
What Exactly are Dental Sealants?
In essence, sealants are liquid coatings painted onto the chewing surfaces of teeth. They’re typically made of composite resin and applied to premolars or molars.
A sealant’s main role is to prevent decay in the treated tooth. In coating a treatment site, it’ll protect a pearly white from harmful bacteria. Sealants are thus ideal for kids and teens – patients who’ve yet to suffer much tooth decay. (Sealants, after all, would prevent problems during the cavity-prone years of 6-14).
How Do Sealants Work?
To put it simply, sealants are like raincoats for teeth. They keep the “rain” of bacterial acids in your mouth from reaching your enamel. That way, said acids can’t erode the teeth and cause cavities.
Overall, sealants are highly effective at this job. Studies show that they reduce decay risk by nearly 80% in molars. Meanwhile, kids without sealants are three times as likely to get severe cavities. These tooth holes, in turn, can then lead to gum disease, tooth infections, or worse.
How are Sealants Applied?
Rest assured: getting sealants won’t cause your child any pain. The process is quick and painless, as the application only takes 30 minutes. That means your kiddo shouldn’t feel uncomfortable with treatment.
In general, applying dental sealants is pretty simple. The dentist will first clean and dry your child’s teeth. Next, they’ll place an acidic gel over them so the sealant has something to adhere to. The dentist will then rinse and re-dry the teeth before carefully applying the coating. Lastly, the dental team will harden the layer with a special blue light. The dental sealants will then be solidified and ready for use!
As you can see, answering dental sealant questions isn’t too tricky. That said, learn the answers above so you and your child can prepare for treatment!
About the Practice
Smiles University Pediatric Dentistry is based in Bastrop, TX. Led by Drs. Goodwin, Radcliff, and Adjan, our practice always gives children the best of smiles. We thus offer high-quality preventive and restorative dentistry, as well as emergency dental services. Naturally, our office also provides excellent dental sealants for your little one’s teeth! For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (512)-321-5437.