The Effectiveness of Dental Sealants Remain Undisputed on Children’s Molars

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An application of dental sealants on the back teeth to protect them and prevent tooth decay is undisputed, especially for children. Dental sealants fill the tiny pits and fissures on your teeth, challenging to clean, providing them a smooth surface for easy cleaning.

The chewing surfaces of the molars have tiny bits and fissures where tooth decay starts when food remains trapped in places challenging to clean. The bristles of the toothbrush cannot get into the crevices because they are too small.

Sealants are thin plastic coatings covering the chewing surfaces of the molars helping to prevent tooth decay by creating a smoother surface easier to clean. Dental sealants are famous for over six decades after they were introduced and widely used after that.

Reasons for Tooth Decay

Everyone has bacteria living in the mouth, causing tooth decay. You eat bacteria along with the foods you have. They feast on the sugars in the food and beverages you consume and produce acids to damage the tooth surface. Over time enamel erosion causes damages leading to cavities developing in the tooth.

The Benefits of Using Dental Sealants

Dental Sealants in Granville, OH, fill the tiny pits and fissures of the molars keeping food and bacteria out of them to prevent tooth decay. There are many benefits to using dental sealants. They are:

  • Dental sealants are tooth-colored or clear.
  • They fill and block the tiny pits and fissures in the teeth to prevent decay.
  • The sealant application procedure only requires a few minutes.
  • Dental sealants are painless and do not require any drilling or injections.
  • Dental sealants are safe and do not dissolve in saliva.

Dental sealants protect against 80 percent of cavities for the first two years after an application. Protection against 50 percent of holes for the next four years is available. Dental sealants remain on the teeth for up to a decade with proper dental hygiene.

Dental sealants are applied by the tooth sealant dentist or hygienist and remain on your teeth from two to seven years. Dental sealants need checking regularly by the dentist near you and, if maintained properly, can last for approximately ten years.

Tooth decay starts in the narrow pits and fissures of the back molars. The permanent molars are at risk of tooth decay and benefit most from dental sealants.

Children develop their first molars at around six or seven years, and the second emerge at 11 or 12. The molars are at a higher risk of tooth decay as they appear. It is why children must visit their dentist for regular dental checkups at these times.

The Application Procedure of Dental Sealants

The tooth sealant dentist prepares your child’s teeth for application by cleaning and drying them. The application procedure merely requires a few minutes, but your child must sit with their mouths open during the process.

After the child’s teeth have dried, an etching solution is applied to the teeth to help the dental sealant adhere to the tooth. The tooth is again cleaned and dried and left with absorbent material to ensure salivary contamination does not happen.

Finally, the dental sealant application happens when a thin layer of plastic liquid is painted into the pits and fissures. Dentists use ultraviolet light to harden the sealant to complete the procedure.

Must Children Have Dental Sealants on Their Teeth?

Children are prone to tooth decay and cavities as they are frequently snacking on sugary foods and beverages without being mindful of dental hygiene. Children report lost time in school because tooth decay interferes with eating, sleeping, and other activities.

Children with dental sealants report 43 percent fewer cavities than children without them. Dental sealants are affordable and cost fewer dollars than treating tooth decay and cavities. Therefore children benefit by having dental sealants on their teeth and must have them because they prevent unnecessary problems from developing in their mouths.

Adults can also benefit from dental sealants so long as they don’t have any restorations on their teeth. As a preventive measure, the effectiveness of dental sealants continues to remain undisputed even after six decades. However, children from lower-income households are not receiving them and spending significantly on dental treatments, leaving them needing expensive and intensive therapies.

Besides getting dental sealants to protect children’s teeth, children must be encouraged to maintain excellent dental hygiene by brushing twice daily, flossing at least once, and visiting dentists frequently for exams and cleanings.

Want to learn more about dental sealants in Granville, OH? Visit our dental clinic or call us to schedule an appointment with our dentist near you. We also welcome patients from nearby communities like Old Sycamore Lane, Denison Drive, West Loop, Cedar Lane, Poppy Ln, Palmer lane, and Onnen Court.



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