Dental sealants are the protective covering placed on the tooth surface by your dentist at Blue Dental in Largo, FL to prevent tooth decay. Sealants are tooth-colored coatings that are painted on to the chewing or occlusal surfaces of preferably back teeth or the molars of the temporary and permanent dentition. However, they can also be used to cover the backside of the front teeth.
The milk teeth or the baby teeth of the children are not as tough as the permanent teeth of an adult. So to say, the thickness of the hard white enamel(the white part and the outermost covering of your tooth crown) is thinner when compared to the permanent teeth. This makes them prone to acid attacks and dental decay when compared to permanent teeth. Moreover, if you notice closely, you will be able to make out the grooves and pits scattered throughout the biting surface of the teeth, whether it’s a milk tooth or a permanent one. These pits and fissures trap bacteria and initiate the decay process of the tooth.
Dental sealants plug-up these problematic areas to prevent the harboring of oral bacteria and therefore dental caries or microcavities from developing.
Dental sealants are specifically recommended for the molars of primary teeth and permanent teeth by the ADA. The first baby molars come between 13 and 19 months, the first permanent molars erupt by the age of 6 yrs and the second permanent molars by 12 yrs. It is, therefore, best to get the sealant coating once all the molars are out in both temporary and permanent dentition. Although sealants can be used in adult teeth, they are less common there because since the teeth have been in contact with the oral bacteria for long, they are likely to infiltrate the grooves and crevices of the teeth and a sealant will only trap them further into the tooth causing decay.
Dental sealants can last anywhere between three to ten years depending upon the technique used to place them as well as the habits of the child. For example, a child who grinds teeth will have to get re-treatment more often. Similarly, the intake of highly acidic foods and beverages will erode the sealant swiftly.
Dental sealants treatment in Largo, FL by Blue Dental do not require any special care nor do the teeth coated with sealants. Just make sure that your child brushes twice daily, flosses regularly and avoids sticky foods.
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