Why Are Dental Sealants so Important?
Brushing and flossing are optimal techniques to keep your teeth and gums healthy besides six-monthly visits to your dentist for exams and cleanings. Unfortunately, even people with diligent oral hygiene regimens can develop cavities on their teeth and other problems. Therefore people must consult with their dentist to understand whether dental sealants are suitable for their teeth.
What Are Dental Sealants?
Thin coatings of durable plastic applied on the surface of the molars are called dental sealants. Dental sealants are primarily used on children prone to tooth decay and cavities. However, the sealants are not reserved exclusively for children, and adults can also receive dental sealants on their molars if they don’t have any restorations on them. Dental sealants are effective against cavities because the sealant material closes the grooves and fissures of the molars by creating a smooth surface after application and disallowing food particles and microorganisms from remaining trapped in back teeth.
Advantages of Dental Sealants
Suppose you inquire about dental sealants with the dentist near you. In that case, they will likely provide information that sealants protect against 80 percent of cavities during the first two years of the application. The protection remains ongoing for another four years against 50 percent of holes. Dental sealants stay on the teeth for up to 9 years.
Children with sealants on their teeth are 43 percent less likely to develop cavities than children without bonds. Children without sealants with holes report lost school time because of sleeplessness, tooth pain, and visits to dentists for restorations. At the same time, parents are required to invest in expensive dental procedures for children because they don’t maintain appropriate oral hygiene and snack frequently on sugary foods and beverages.
Sealants are applied to tooth surfaces vulnerable to cavities. The back teeth of children and adults have pits and fissures that allow bacteria and food particles to remain trapped. Cleaning the molars is challenging even for people with diligent dental hygiene practices. When sealants are applied to the molars, they create a smoother surface on them to prevent the trapping of food particles and bacteria and make cleaning easier.
Is the Process for Getting Dental Sealants Challenging?
The dental sealant process is straightforward, requiring no anesthesia or sedation, and completed by the dentist 33702 within the hour. You don’t undergo any discomfort other than sitting in the dentist’s with your mouth open.
If seeking dental sealants near you, the dentist starts the process by cleaning the targeted molar and drying it with absorbent material. Next, an etching solution is applied to the molar and left on it for about 15 seconds. After that, the molar is cleaned again and dried in preparation for the final application. Eventually, the dental sealant application occurs, and the dentist hardens the sealant with ultraviolet light.
Children who hate dental visits do not find the visit for sealing their molars uncomfortable because they can continue with their regular activities soon after the dentist completes the application. However, children benefit the most when the dental sealant application is completed by Dr. Weatherwax, with considerable experience in dealing with children. Dental sealants are technically sensitive to their application and need a clean and dry surface before application on the molars.
The dentist in St Petersburg is an experienced professional with appropriate knowledge of managing children to effectively and calmly provide them a protective barrier over their teeth with dental sealants. Children can have sealants on their teeth soon after their molars emerge at ages six, 12, and 18. Sealants prevent cavities from developing on the molars but don’t prevent tooth decay. Therefore the dentist recommends children refrain from having sugary and starchy foods and beverages, brush their teeth twice daily using fluoride toothpaste, floss their teeth at least once every day regardless of whether they do it in the morning or evening, and get six-monthly dental checkups and cleanings without exceptions. Any compromises in the above requirements can allow tooth decay to develop and cause cavities on other teeth.
Dental sealants are an effective preventive measure for the molars, often victims of tooth decay and cavities. Children and adults benefit from dental sealants because they prevent cavities and the considerable expenditure required to treat them. The preventive barrier also leaves everyone with excellent oral health and a beautiful smile.
If you are convinced about the importance of dental sealants, schedule an appointment with Dental Arts on 9th St; to get dental sealants for you and your kid without delay.
