When your child enters the cavity-prone years, ages 6 to 11, dental sealants can provide a powerful defense against sugar, snacking and infrequent brushing.
Sealants lock in tooth integrity with a thin liquid coating that is hardened into a strong protective barrier with light or chemical activation. Below, experienced San Jose, Los Gatos and Campbell dentist Dr. Ashwini Bhave outlines the benefits of sealants, and discusses timing and duration of this effective anti-cavity barrier.
Reduced Risk
Dental sealants are highly recommended by the American Dental Association, especially for protecting primary and permanent molars in kids. Sealants cover the pits and fissures of molars, a dental landscape that is perfect for trapping food, providing a haven for bacteria, and developing cavities.
Studies have shown that 80 percent of cavities can be prevented in the first two years after dental sealants are applied. After four years, an estimated half of cavities will be avoided. Sealants can provide protection for as long as 10 years — long enough to shield your child’s teeth well into adolescence.
Although many adults also choose sealants for their own teeth, children’s teeth are particularly vulnerable to decay as soon as they emerge. Tooth enamel has not reached its peak strength in newly erupted teeth. And the fragility of new teeth combined with kids’ sugary dietary choices sends the cavity risk soaring. Fluoride in toothpaste and in-office treatments can help, but even this protective compound cannot always reach into the deep indentations of molars.
Protecting baby teeth is important, because losing a tooth to a cavity at a very early age can have serious side effects. Baby teeth are placeholders for permanent teeth, helping to guide them into their proper positions. And a missing tooth during the time a child is refining speech can have a lifelong effect on enunciation.
Simple Process
Like tooth-colored fillings, sealants are made of a composite resin material that acts as a protective shield for teeth. The coating is extremely thin and completely invisible. Because most dental sealant patients are very young, it is important that the process is simple, quick and completely free of pain or discomfort.
There is no drilling or reshaping of the tooth involved, so not even topical anesthetic is needed. Dr. Bhave first examines, cleans and dries the teeth, then applies a mild acid solution to add texture to the surface, allowing for optimal bonding with the sealant. After a second round of rinsing and drying, the liquid sealant is carefully applied, then cured with the special light or activated chemically. The whole process is over in minutes.
To learn more about dental sealants, schedule an appointment with Dr. Bhave at her San Jose office by calling or emailing Bay Area Dental Specialists today.