Dental Sealants: Safeguarding Your Kids Teeth

The topic today is dental sealants. Everyone’s talking about them. Do I need them? When should I get them? Are they ideal for my kids? These are some of the questions on the lips of people looking for that next dental lift. The truth is that dental sealants have been around for a while and serve a wide range of benefits for both children and adults alike.

For one, dental sealants or teeth sealants offer an extra layer of protection for your teeth surfaces. They act as bulletproof shielding the teeth, enamel, and gum lines from plaque buildup, infection, etc. But there’s more. In this article, we will discuss all you need to know about getting dental sealants for your kids. You will learn how they are applied and work, along with their many awesome benefits. Read along.

First, What Are Dental Sealants?

A dental sealant is a thin, plastic film coating that is painted over the chewing surfaces of the teeth. These areas are mostly situated around the back regions of the molars and premolars. Dental sealants coat or “seal off” the depressions, grooves, and hard-to-reach regions of the teeth, protecting the enamel of each tooth against tooth decay.

Yes, regular brushing and flossing already help eliminate food particles that cause germ and bacteria buildup in the teeth and mouth. However, there are certain regions around the teeth that your brush cannot get to and this is where dental sealants come in. A sealant, therefore, is an advanced dental technology that seals out areas that pose breeding grounds for acid, germs, and plaques.

Because of the high chances of developing grooves and fissures early in life, kids and young teens are the most ideal candidates for getting a dental sealant highland park. Dental sealants can subsequently be applied to a tooth, set of teeth, or all teeth in your kid’s mouth.

How Do Dental Sealants Work?

Indeed, the surfaces around the front, side, and back of the tooth may appear smooth when viewed with your natural eyes. But when viewed closely under a microscope, you will discover that the teeth are filled with many small imperfections, depressions, grooves, and fixtures. These imperfections are mostly around the back areas of the teeth built ideally for chewing against food chunks before swallowing.

As a teeth sealants specialist paints the thin plastic film over these areas, it gently flows through each dip, crack, and groove, filling and sealing them off. After a while, the film hardens to form a tough coating or outer shell, which repels bacteria and acid from accumulating.

How Are Dental Sealants Applied?

The following are steps taken by a dental specialist in applying dental sealants to your kid’s teeth:
First, your dental health specialist will clean and dry out your child’s teeth.
Once properly dried out, he or she will gently apply an acidic gel around the teeth surface. This will make them a bit rough enough for the sealant to rest properly.
After waiting for about 10 seconds, your dentist will rinse off this gel and clean and dry out the teeth again.
Once properly dried, your dentist will apply the dental sealant carefully around the teeth, using blue light to dry and harden them.
That’s it! It is a simple, quick, and painless procedure.

How Long Do They Last?

Dental sealants can last for as much as 10 years and even more especially when properly maintained. Nonetheless, check your kid in from time to time with your local dental care specialist. He or she will guide you down the path if a replacement is needed sooner.

Benefits of Dental Sealants

The following are the benefits of dental sealants for kids:

They offer quick protection for kids between the ages of 6 and 14 who are most vulnerable to tooth decay.
Dental sealants guard against tooth cavities that result from bacteria build-up on the surface of the tooth.
They reduce deep grooves on the tooth.
The procedure is a quick and painless one so your kids should be at ease, having nothing to worry about.
Dental sealants last long, for up to 10 years.
They save you a ton of money that could have otherwise been used for dental restorations from tooth decay.

Get a Dental Sealant for Your Kid Today

Your kid deserves the best dental care to protect them against various decay-causing germs that ruin their tooth early in life. Here at Lasting Smiles Highland Park, we are an ensemble of dental care experts that specialize in a wide range of dental care solutions for kids of all age groups. We are transforming Highland Park Dentistry, restoring the confidence and smile of resident kids and beyond. Please book an appointment with us today.