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Jun 06, 2023
Cavities are a common dental problem among children because of their unhealthy eating habits. Addiction to sugary drinks, sticky candies and chocolates, and starchy foods like chips makes them vulnerable to tooth decay.
The molars or back teeth are most susceptible to bacteria build up because of the depressions on their surfaces. Also, these pits are hard to clean and often get missed by children while brushing unsupervised.
Thus, dentists recommend using dental sealants to create a barrier between the grooves in back teeth and bacteria for children. Since prevention is better than cure, it makes sense to use this preventive treatment.
Here is everything you must know about dental sealants and their benefits. It will help you opt for this remedy if your child has a sweet tooth or is prone to cavities. Sealants can help adolescents as well as children. It is advisable to consult your dentist to know if you need to get sealants.
What Are Dental Sealants?
Dental sealants are made from medical-grade resin material or glass ionomers. These materials are used to create a liquid coating which is painted on the surface of molars to cover the natural fissures.
The liquid is hardened to build a protective layer on the teeth and make them smooth to avoid the accumulation of food debris and plaque. Hope Island Dentists prescribe sealants for children between the ages of six and fourteen. The sealants must be applied as soon as molars and premolars erupt in children.
They stay fixed in their place for up to five years and can be replaced if required. Regular examination is essential to check for any depressions or chipping.
Children with sealants should bring down their junk food consumption and brush twice under adult supervision until they are eight years old. Also, flossing once a day and rinsing your mouth after meals help in removing food debris from the crevices.
What Are the Benefits of Dental Sealants?
Children and adults who do not follow the recommended brushing and flossing routine or have a genetic vulnerability to developing cavities can benefit from sealants.
- Sealants Are Highly Potent in Preventing Cavities
Cavities can severely damage permanent teeth and lead to expensive treatments like a root canal or tooth extraction if the natural tooth cannot be saved. Since children are prone to cavities because of their unhealthy diet and low attention towards oral hygiene, they must get sealants.
It ensures that they will not develop cavities and avoid the risk of expensive and painful treatments. The sealants are an extra cover of protection for molars and premolars because brushing can miss the grooves in these teeth and lead to bacteria build up. According to research, sealants can provide 80% protection against cavities.
- Sealants Are Easy to Apply and Painless
The most advantageous feature of dental sealants is that they can be applied without pain or invasive procedure. The dentist can finish the application in a few minutes for one tooth. It requires cleaning and drying the tooth and preparing the tooth surface to create a bond between the sealant and tooth enamel. The practitioner then applies the liquid and hardens it with the help of a light.
- Sealants Do Not Interfere With the Appearance
Many teenagers are unwilling to opt for dental sealants because they fear they will affect their appearance. However, dental sealants are not visible because they are clear or white and cannot be seen while talking or eating. Parents can easily prepare them for sealants by informing them about the benefits of the treatment.
- Dental Sealants Assist Oral Hygiene Routine
Brushing and flossing may not be sufficient enough when it comes to preventing cavities. Usually, people miss the surfaces of back teeth that have fissures and can become breeding grounds for bacteria.
Sticky and starchy foods get stuck in these grooves and cause cavities that lead to tooth decay. Thus, sealants make sure that the hard-to-reach surfaces are protected and keep your mouth healthy.
- Using Dental Sealants Provides Lasting Results
Dental sealants are durable and can last up to ten years with regular examinations by dentists in Hope Island. They can become worn or chipped with long-term use, but the problem can be quickly rectified by adding more sealant to the surface and covering it. Thus, the maintenance and repair of sealants is also easy and fast, which makes them ideal for use.
- Dental Sealants Help Save Money
Getting sealants placed on your teeth is way cheaper than root canal treatment or dental implants, which are expensive surgical procedures. It is better to take preventive action and save your teeth from infection using sealants suitable for most youngsters. It ensures that their teeth remain healthy and strong throughout their lives without any erosion or plaque build up.
Wrapping Up
Cavities are a big annoyance as they damage your teeth, require painful treatments and incur considerable costs. Since children are more vulnerable to developing tooth decay, dental sealants have emerged as a beneficial preventive treatment to save money, pain and dental health.
