At Robison Family Dental, we care for your whole family, from babies to great-grandmas. We use sealants to help protect your child’s teeth from decay and cavities.
Sealants give us a simple, quick solution that helps children have strong teeth, avoid extra cavity treatments and fillings, and hopefully learn to enjoy dental visits.
What Are Dental Sealants?
Sealants are thin coatings a dentist places on the chewing surface of molars. They protect the teeth by preventing the buildup of food and bacteria.
When we block bacteria from clinging to the surface of teeth and growing there, we stop plaque from forming.
Plaque creates acid that damages the structure of teeth, causing cavities. By preventing this, we can keep your child’s teeth strong, leaving more natural enamel on the teeth and avoiding the need for fillings.
In fact, sealants prevent about 80% of cavities for two years after we apply them and 50% of cavities for about four years. Combine that with good brushing habits and regular checkups, and you can help your child beat cavities!
Why Do Children Need Sealants?
The back teeth, the molars and premolars, are hard for kids to reach and clean completely when they’re learning to brush. These teeth are covered in natural grooves that can hide food and bacteria. They’re sometimes narrower than a toothbrush bristle!
Even with a great toothbrush and good brushing habits, your child might still get cavities in these teeth as bacteria multiply and create plaque and acid.
Fluoride applications and fluoride toothpaste help strengthen the enamel of teeth in general, but sealants cover those tiny grooves where food particles can hide, keeping bacteria out.
The Dental Sealant Procedure
We can quickly apply dental sealants at the end of a regular checkup with your child. Once the team has cleaned and checked the teeth, sealants are a great final step that will protect the teeth for the long term.
We recommend sealants for children between the ages of six and fourteen, when they’re most prone to cavities in small tooth grooves. The process is simple:
- Preparation: A thorough cleaning of your child’s teeth.
- Drying: Drying the surfaces of the teeth to be sealed.
- Roughening: Slightly roughening the surfaces of teeth so they’ll bond with the sealants.
- Final Prep: Another rinse and dry.
- Application: Applying sealants to each tooth that needs them and bonding them in place.
Sealants only require a few minutes in the chair. If you have a wiggly child, don’t worry, the process is quick! Plus, it’s painless—no anesthetic required!
How Long Do Sealants Last?
Sealants have been known to keep working to protect teeth for as long as 10 years. Over the years, during regular checkups, Dr. Robison will check your child’s sealants for any wear or chipping. If needed, we can replace sealants in a quick procedure.
Keep in mind that our goal is to prevent cavities and keep teeth healthy and strong for many years. It’s more of a hassle and expense for you if your child gets cavities and needs fillings than getting them sealants that prevent cavities.
Can Adults Get Sealants?
Yes, adults can also enjoy the advantages of sealants. Because children’s molars and premolars are more vulnerable to bacteria buildup, we often recommend fillings for children first.
However, almost all adults between the ages of 20 and 64 have developed at least one cavity. In fact, as we age, we can enter a new phase of being vulnerable to cavities.
The first step is to consult with Dr. Robison. He can check over your dental history, current dental health, and cavity vulnerability and give you a recommendation about whether you need sealants.
Protect Teeth With Dental Sealants in West Jordan, Utah
Children get a lot of value out of dental sealants, which help prevent cavities for many years. Even adults can benefit from them. Schedule a dental checkup at Robison Family Dental, and ask about dental sealants.