A Guide to Dental Sealants: Procedure and Benefits

Protecting and caring for your teeth sets you up for a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime. Daily brushing and flossing, visiting a regular dentist for check-ups and getting yearly professional cleanings are essential. If you’re at a high risk for dental problems such as cavities, your dentist may suggest the use of dental sealants.

What are Dental Sealants?

Dental sealants are a part of preventive dentistry that seeks to prevent cavities by covering or smoothing the chewing surfaces of your teeth. If you look closely at your back teeth, there are pits and fissures where food particles can easily get stuck when eating. The pits and fissures can be hard to clean, especially for small children and teenagers, even with thorough brushing.

For this reason, food particles and other debris can easily accumulate. If not removed, the teeth become a breeding ground for bacteria and plaque build-up, increasing the risk of cavities and gum disease. To prevent this, the dentist can recommend applying sealants on the surface of the teeth. By smoothing the surfaces, it will be harder for food particles to get trapped.

Who Needs Dental Sealants?

While dental sealants are beneficial for people of all ages, they are especially recommended for young children and teenagers because they are at a high risk of developing cavities. To find out if your children may benefit in having dental sealants, visit our local dentist near you.

Dental Sealants Application

Dental sealants are super easy to apply. It only takes a few minutes and a single appointment. No surgery or tooth shaping is required, making the procedure comfortable and painless.

Here’s a typical procedure breakdown on how dental sealants are applied:

• The dentist works on one tooth at a time.
• The dentist begins by cleaning the tooth that is to be sealed.
• The tooth is dried, and an acidic gel is applied to its surface to roughen it up. This allows the sealant and the tooth to bond quickly.
• The dentist rinses off the acidic gel and dries off the tooth.
• The dental sealant is applied on the surfaces of the tooth using a brush. The dentist uses a special blue light to quicken the bonding.

Benefits of Dental Sealants

Here are five reasons why dental sealant are beneficial:

1. Protects your Teeth from Plaque and Bacteria Build-up

The primary benefit of applying dental sealants is to prevent plaque and bacteria build-up in your mouth. Dental sealants prevent food particles and other debris from building up in the hard-to-clean areas, preventing the likelihood of developing cavities, gum disease, and other dental problems.

2. Protects You From Unnecessary Procedures

By guarding your teeth against bacteria and plaque build-up, the chances of developing cavities and gum disease are significantly reduced. If your mouth is healthy, you don’t need root canals, root planing and scaling, restorative treatments, and other surgical treatments. In the long run, sealants protect your teeth and save you money.

3. Pain-Free Application

As we’ve seen above, applying dental sealants is straightforward and easy. There’s no need for sedation since the procedure is virtually painless. The dentist uses a brush to apply the sealant, making it favorable for young children. If your child is still anxious about the treatment, notify the dentist beforehand for other anxiety measures.

4. Improved Oral Hygiene and Health

Even with the most thorough and meticulous brushing and flossing, you may still be unable to clean your teeth perfectly, especially the back teeth. By smoothening these chewing surfaces, it prevents food particles and plaque from building up. Thanks to the smooth surfaces, if any debris gets stuck, it will be easier to brush off.

If your oral hygiene is improved, your oral health is equally enhanced. Good oral health also reduces the chances of developing health-related conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

5. Long-lasting

How often do you need to visit your dentist’s office for reapplication? Luckily, dental sealants are long-lasting. If well applied and cared for, sealants can protect your teeth for as long as 5 to 10 years. However, it’s essential to have your sealants checked regularly during your annual cleanings for damage.

6. Easy Maintenance

Dental sealants are super easy to care for and maintain. You only have to continue with your daily dental care routine, and you’ll be fine. Even better, if the sealant is damaged, repair or reapplication is easy and quick.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Are you looking for dental sealants services, or would you be interested to learn more about dental sealants? Contact Raynham Dental Group, the Office of Dr. Michael Scanlon, to book your appointment today.