Dental sealants have been used largely as a protective tool in dentistry, due to their effective shielding abilities. Nine out of ten cavities in school-aged children from in the deep pits and crevices of the teeth. Simply putting sealants, keeps bacteria from adhering to surface or down into the grooves of the teeth, which in turn prevents tooth decay and makes the teeth easier to clean. Dental sealant application is simple, quick, painless, and is usually done during a routine checkup if needed.
How Are Dental Sealants Applied?
First, the teeth are cleaned, dried. Each tooth is sealed individually. A conditioning gel is placed on the tooth in order to prepare it for bonding. The conditioning gel is then rinsed off, and the tooth is once again dried. Then the flowable resin sealant material is applied to the deep pits and fissures in the chewing surfaces of the tooth. A special light is used to cure and bond the sealant material to the enamel surface of the tooth.
When Kids Need Dental Sealants?
Talk to your Dentist about recommendations for your child, as each case is specific and varies. The dentist will likely recommend dental sealants for your child’s primary (baby) teeth, especially if they have particularly deep grooves and fissures. It is extremely important to maintain the health of your child’s baby teeth, in order to keep them from falling out too early.
Children need dental sealants on their permanent molars right when they erupt. The first permanent molars typically come in between five and seven years of age, and the second set of permanent molars usually comes in anytime between eleven and fourteen years of age.
How Long Do Dental Sealants Last?
For a procedure that takes only a few minutes per tooth to complete, kids receive on average two to five years of protection against the most common cavities occurring in children. Under the very best circumstances, some sealants can even last up to ten years.
