What Are Dental Sealants and How Do They Work? Dental sealants are used as a preventive to reduce the chance of tooth decay and can protect up to 80% of cavities from developing in molars, where food and bacteria can hide in deep grooves used for chewing.
Our teeth, especially our back molars and premolars, have intricate grooves and pits that act as natural chewing surfaces. While these grooves are essential for grinding food, they can also be a haven for cavity-causing bacteria and plaque, leading to tooth decay.
Dental sealants, a protective coating applied to the chewing surfaces of your teeth, can shield against decay and support long-term tooth health. Read on to find out more about dental sealants and if they’re right for you.
What Are Dental Sealants?
Dental sealants, also referred to as teeth sealants, are thin, plastic coatings painted onto the grooved surfaces of permanent back teeth (molars) to help prevent food and bacteria from accumulating and causing tooth decay.
The narrow fissures and grooves on our back molars can be challenging to clean with regular brushing and flossing. Food particles can become trapped, creating an environment that encourages bacterial growth and makes teeth vulnerable to decay.
While fluoride in toothpaste and drinking water helps protect most tooth surfaces, sealants can provide extra protection for the back teeth by keeping out food and germs and preventing cavity-causing plaque from accumulating. Teeth sealants may also reduce the need for more extensive dental treatments in the future, like fillings, crowns or caps to remedy decayed or infected teeth.
Who Should Consider Dental Sealants?
Dental sealants are particularly effective in children and teenagers, whose developing teeth can benefit significantly from this preventive procedure. Sealants are typically applied once the first molars come in, usually between the ages of 5 and 7. An additional set of dental sealants can be applied when the second set of permanent molars arrive, typically between the ages of 11 and 14.
In some situations, your dentist may recommend sealants for your child’s baby teeth if those teeth have deep grooves or pits. Keeping baby teeth cavity-free helps ensure healthy permanent teeth.
Though dental sealants are most commonly used with children and teenagers, anyone prone to tooth decay in their back teeth, including adults, may benefit from dental sealants to reduce the chance of tooth decay.
Once applied, dental sealants help protect against 80% of cavities for two years.
Read more in this great article from Care Credit – https://www.carecredit.com/well-u/health-wellness/what-are-dental-sealants/
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