Understanding Dental Sealants: Protection Against Decay

Dental sealants can be your family’s first line in cavity prevention. These thin coatings shield the chewing surfaces of teeth from the harmful bacteria that cause cavities. Your Bloomington dentist can apply dental sealants as part of a preventive dental treatment plan.

How Dental Sealants Protect Against Tooth Decay

Because of their unique shape and function, molars are more likely to develop cavities. Your molars do the heavy work of grinding food with the help of deep pits and grooves that provide traction. Food and bacteria can become trapped in these pits and grooves, and can make it hard to remove food and bacteria even with regular brushing and flossing. Left in place for too long, the bacteria can erode the tough layer of enamel protecting the teeth, causing dental caries or cavities.  

Cavities are the most common chronic condition in both children and adults.  

Dental sealants reduce the risk of cavities by creating a protective barrier between the bacteria that cause dental caries and the surface of teeth. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 without sealants have almost 3 times more cavities in their first molars than do those with sealants.  

Unfortunately, most kids don’t get dental sealants. In fact, only about 60 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 11 receive this type of preventive dental care.  

Dental sealants aren’t just pediatric dental care for children or teenagers, though – some adults can benefit from dental sealants too as long as there is not existing tooth decay or dental fillings in their molars. Your Bloomington family dentist can help decide if dental sealants are right for you!

Benefits of Dental Sealants

Long-lasting enamel protection

Dental sealants protect teeth from tooth decay for many years. In fact, dental sealants protect against 80 percent of cavities for the first two years after application, and then continue to protect teeth against 50 percent of cavities for the next four years.  

Money savings

Sealants can save teeth – and money! By protecting molars against cavities, dental sealants can eliminate the need for invasive and expensive dental fillings, crowns, or other treatments.  

The Dental Sealant Process

It’s easy to get dental sealants! A dentist or dental hygienist can apply them quickly and painlessly during a regular dental check-up.

The first step is to clean the teeth thoroughly to prevent any bacteria or food particles from being trapped between the sealant and the surface of the tooth. Next, they dry the teeth and place gauze around the treatment area to keep the surfaces of the tooth dry.  

The dentist or hygienist then paints the teeth with a small amount of acid etching solution onto the chewing surfaces of the molars. This roughens the surface, which heals the sealants bond properly to the teeth. They will rinse and dry the teeth before painting the sealant onto the enamel, where it bonds instantly to the teeth. They’ll then shine a special light onto the sealant material to cure it.  

For best cavity-fighting results, sealants should be applied as soon as the molars come in. For most children, this is around age 6 for first molars and around age 12 for second molars.  

Bloomington Dentist Offers Dental Sealants

For more information about dental sealants, connect with Liberty Family Dentistry. As Bloomington’s most trusted dental team, we’ll be glad to help you determine if dental sealants are right for your family. Contact Liberty Family Dentistry for dental sealants in Bloomington today.

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