How Dental Sealants Stop Tooth Decay

The best way of preventing dental cavities is through regular brushing and flossing. However, removing all the dirt from your teeth is not always easy, especially from the molars. Molars are uneven and rough, making them a favorite spot for dirt, leftover food, and cavity-causing bacteria to accumulate. The good news is that brushing and flossing are not the only ways of preventing tooth decay. Dental sealants are a great way of keeping your teeth clean, preventing the build-up of plaque and the development of dental cavities. However, it is crucial to note that dental sealants are not substitutes for brushing and flossing. Sealants prevent cavities from forming and stop the early stages of tooth decay from progressing into full-blown decay.

Dental Sealants Explained

If we lived in a perfect world, everyone would have an ideal set of teeth. The only effort needed to maintain sparkling teeth would be regular brushing and flossing. However, this is not the case. Our teeth are at constant risk of decay and staining. There are many treatment options available to prevent and treat tooth decay. A common remedy for tooth decay is dental sealants.

Dental sealant consists of a thin protective coating usually made from plastic or other materials. Upon application on the tooth’s surface, the sealant adheres to the tooth’s chewing surface. Dental sealants prevent the plaque and acids from penetrating the tooth’s enamel. Dental sealants have proven effective in preventing dental cavities. They could reduce the risk of tooth decay by 80% in molars.

Most of the food grinding takes place on the premolars and the molars. Therefore, it is common for food particles to accumulate on the grooves and pits of these teeth, causing tooth decay. Even if cleaning your teeth regularly could help eliminate the food particles and bacteria, it is not entirely adequate. A dental sealant helps shield the spots that your toothbrush bristles cannot reach.

Sealants are particularly crucial when it comes to a child’s dental health. Sealants are recommended for children between the ages of 6 and 11 years, but only a tiny percentage of these children have sealants. School-going children without dental sealants have three times more cavities than those with sealants.

How Dental Sealants Work

Sealants are an effective preventive measure against tooth decay since they serve as raincoats to the teeth. Decay-causing bacteria thrive in everyone's mouth. When these bacteria come into contact with leftover food particles, they produce acids that lead to tooth decay. When a dental sealant is applied to the teeth, it stops leftover food particles from adhering to the teeth. It is the same way that a raincoat prevents you from wetness and dirt during a storm.

Both children and adults are good candidates for dental sealants. Children get their first molars at around the age of six, while the second molars appear at around the age of 12. It is advisable to apply dental sealants on these molars as soon as they break through to help prevent the development of cavities from the start. Dental sealants help you save money in the long run. By preventing tooth decay, you do not have to spend money on dental filling and root canals.

You should consult your doctor to know whether you or your loved one is a good candidate for dental sealant. The process of applying dental sealants is quick and painless. The dentist will start by cleaning and drying your teeth. The dentist will then place an acidic gel on your teeth. The gel makes the tooth’s surface rough to help form a strong bond between the tooth and the dental sealant. The dentist will wait for a few seconds after applying the gel before rinsing it and drying the tooth.

The final step involves applying the dental sealant on the tooth's grooves. After applying the sealant, it will automatically stick to the tooth enamel. Upon applying the dental sealant, the dentist uses a special light to harden the sealant. Usually, dentists perform the entire process of applying dental sealants in a single dental appointment. It is advisable to have dental sealants placed before you develop cavities. However, sealants also come in handy during the initial stages of tooth decay to help prevent decay from progressing.

Some dental sealants are clear. Therefore, even after applying the sealant to a tooth, your dentist can still monitor the tooth to ensure that the sealant is serving its purpose of preventing the decay from progressing. Sealants are safe to use and have no known side effects irrespective of the patient's age. This makes children, teenagers, and adults good candidates for dental sealants. However, some people could have allergies that prevent them from getting dental sealants. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that you inform your dentist about any allergies that could make you an inappropriate candidate for dental sealants.

Dental sealants contain a small amount of BPA. However, this amount is not enough to cause you or your loved one any harm. You get more exposure to BPA by coming into contact with dust, using cosmetics, or touching a receipt than you do by having dental sealants applied to your teeth. After applying dental sealants, the sealants will serve you for several years before you need a re-application. Your dentist will check the condition of your dental sealant during your regular dental visits to determine whether a re-application is necessary.

Preventing Decay Among Young Children

Dental sealants are particularly important in preventing tooth decay among small children. Oral health has a direct impact on a child’s quality of life. Children with unaddressed tooth decay experience pain or infection and experience problems while talking, eating, and socializing. Therefore, tooth decay could affect a child’s growth and even performance in school. A significant percentage of children suffer from dental cavities, leading to discomfort and pain.

As a child’s premolars and molars grow, fissures and grooves develop on their surfaces. These fissures and grooves can trap food particles, encouraging bacteria growth that results in dental cavities. Brushing and flossing remove food particles from the teeth surface but cannot remove food particles from the depressions and recesses on the premolars and molars. Therefore, the premolars and molars are often an easy target for bacterial growth and plaque accumulation.

Tooth decay in children could be prevented through school-based sealant application programs. This program involves providing dental sealants to school-going children onsite in their schools or offsite at nearby dental clinics. These programs are essential for a low-income group of children because they are more prone to tooth decay. Unfortunately, these children are less likely to access dental treatment on time.

Dental Sealants Are Not Visible When A Child Talks Or Smiles

Dental sealants are rarely noticeable. You can only see them when you observe a patient’s teeth closely. They are not noticeable when a child talks or smiles. Dental sealants are highly recommended in children because they protect the teeth from acid attack, which causes tooth decay. It is common for children to consume sugary foods like candies, chocolates, chips, cookies, and biscuits. Consumption of sugary beverages could also take a toll on the teeth and cause decay.

When your child has dental sealants, you do not have to worry whenever he/she consumes sugary foods and beverages. Dental sealants ensure the protection of a child's teeth in the coming years.

The Pros Of Dental Sealants

Like every other dental procedure, dental sealants have some pros and cons. The common pros of sealants are:

• The procedure of applying sealants is easy and painless

• Applying sealants is straightforward and only takes a few minutes per tooth. Once the dentist cleans the tooth, the application process is relatively simple

• After application, dental sealants are an effective way of preventing tooth decay

• Dental sealants are durable. After the initial application, dental sealants could last for up to ten years. You can always have the sealants replaced whenever you desire

• Dental sealants are clear or white. Therefore, they will readily merge with the tooth surface and will not affect the aesthetics of a patient

• Compared to other dental procedures, dental fissures are not costly and could save you a lot of money. In addition, dental sealants will also prevent you from undergoing other extreme dental procedures like dental filling and root canal that tend to be more costly

• Dental sealants are safe and do not dissolve in saliva

The Cons Of Dental Sealants

Below are the cons or limitations of dental sealants:

• Not everyone is a good candidate for dental sealants

• Some people are concerned about the bisphenol — Commonly abbreviated as BPA of dental sealants. Certain materials used in dental sealants contain components of a chemical called BPA. This chemical is usually associated with several health conditions. However, according to the American Dental Association, the drawbacks of using dental sealants are insignificant compared to the benefits.

• Dental sealants are not ideal for teeth with dental fillings or advanced tooth decay.

• Dental sealants are not foolproof. Therefore, the sealants could get damaged due to the constant application of chewing forces.

• Proper isolation of the teeth must be observed when placing dental sealants. Otherwise, the process will be a failure.

Dental sealants are not the right option for some children, especially if the child is not susceptible to tooth decay. Some children have a lower risk of tooth decay due to proper oral hygiene practices.

Whether Adults With Tooth Decay And Fillings Should Get Dental Sealants

Children and teenagers are the obvious candidates for dental sealants to help prevent decay in the grooves and depressions of premolars and molars. However, adults with tooth decay and dental fillings could also benefit from dental sealants. Children are most prone to tooth decay between 6 and 14 years. Sealants help prevent the teeth during this cavity-prone period. Dental sealants could also help prevent tooth decay in baby teeth. Baby teeth play an essential role in maintaining the correct spacing for the emergence of permanent teeth. Therefore, keeping baby teeth free from cavities is essential to avoid losing them too early.

When Decay Penetrates Under The Sealant

Dental sealants will prevent your teeth from decaying for up to ten years when properly applied. However, your teeth need to be checked for weaning and clipping during regular dental checkups. When dental sealant starts to wear out, decay can penetrate beneath it. With the help of a dental x-ray, your dentist will examine your teeth to determine if there is decay beneath the sealant. The dentist will then take the appropriate corrective action, usually a small filling or a new sealant, to prevent the problem from progressing.

Taking Care Of Your Teeth After Application Of Dental Sealants

Regular inspection and re-application of dental sealants are necessary. Because of the chewing forces applied on the tooth's surface, there is a chance of the sealants being chipped, damaged, or worn out. It is important to note that dental sealants cannot replace the role of fluoride. Fluoride, which is present in toothpaste, mouthwashes, and community water supplies, plays a crucial role in preventing tooth decay. Therefore, it is advisable to use fluorides and dental sealants to prevent teeth from decaying. As long as the sealant remains bonded to the tooth, it effectively prevents decay.

The duration measures the success rate of dental sealants that the sealant remains intact on the teeth and not by the decay level in the sealed teeth. Several factors could lead to dental sealants failure. The common causes include:

• Saliva contamination during the placement of the dental sealants

• When a dentist does not have the necessary experience to apply a dental sealant

• When the patient fails to cooperate in taking care of dental sealants

• The use of a less potent dental sealant material

The following measures could facilitate the longevity or the retention of dental sealants on the tooth surface:

• Proper isolation of the teeth when placing dental sealants

• Cleaning the sealants properly to ensure that you get rid of plaque and debris

• Avoiding applying dental sealants on partially erupted teeth that contain gingival tissue on the crown

Find A Northridge Dentist Near Me

In addition to being painful, tooth decay is also expensive to repair. If you seek an inexpensive way of preventing tooth decay, you should consider dental sealants. Dental sealants are easy and painless to apply, yet so effective. We invite you to contact Northridge Advanced Dentistry for the best dental sealants application. Call us at 818-701-3010 and talk to one of our dentists.