It’s time for you to go to the dentist and while you are at it get your little one to come with you. Your family dental clinic, Cambrian Dental, takes time to ensure everyone in your family has a healthy smile. There is a way to help prevent cavities from forming on your teeth and the baby teeth of your children too. Getting sealants applied to the enamel works to shield your pearly whites from the things that cause decay.
Dental sealants are used as an added method of cavity protection. Children’s teeth are softer when they are young as they don’t have their permanent teeth yet. A special dental coating known as a sealant offers protection to this fragile enamel. As an adult, we are also at risk of chips and fissures in our teeth therefore a dental sealant can offer added protection if you are noticing the beginning signs of a cavity. Another reason to have a sealant applied to your adult teeth is if you have a hard bite, making it more likely for your enamel to become susceptible to damage.
The ideal age for a dental sealant is between 5 – 7 years old when permanent molars begin to poke through your gums. Molars are the teeth you use the most hence the ones in most danger of being damaged. A child should go back to the dentist around 11 – 14 years old to have dental sealants added to the second set of permanent molars that appears around this age. The sooner you get sealants, the better protection your teeth will have from decay.
Sealants can last a very long time depending on how well you care for them. If you brush your teeth twice a day and floss daily, then you are more likely to help your sealants last. Eating and drinking healthy foods will also help maintain dental sealant strength.
No, this is a painless procedure but there might be slight discomfort. Dental sealants are applied topically, and the procedure is non-evasive.
Dental sealants are actually one of the less expensive dental treatments you can get. They are a preventative procedure that most dentists perform at a reasonable rate. Compared to other treatments, dental sealants cost less and save you money by helping you avoid cavities that require fillings.
Why not protect your dentin from harm if you can? Sealants are a protective dental procedure for all ages and should be part of your regular dental care.
