According to a report from the CDC (Center for Disease Control), school children with dental sealants are three times less likely to develop cavities compared to children without sealants.
Dental sealants create a barrier between tooth enamel and plaque and prevent acid-producing bacteria from attacking your teeth. They act somewhat as raincoats for your teeth and keep your teeth safe from acids.
While regular brushing and flossing help protect your teeth against cavities, it’s difficult to access every nook and cranny. This is true, especially for molars – the teeth that grow at the back of your mouth.
Molars are usually uneven and rough and are a favorite place for leftover food particles to get trapped in. This is the reason that cavities are often found in the molars. Dental sealants are a thin, protective plastic coating that sticks to the chewing surfaces of the molars and other back teeth.
Please keep in mind that dental sealants are not a substitute for brushing and flossing; however, in addition to proper dental hygiene, they are effective in keeping plaque at bay. They work by preventing the early stages of decay from transforming into a full-blown cavity at a later stage.
If you’re interested in getting dental sealant treatment, you may want to know more about how the procedure works. The process is extremely quick, simple and painless; the dentist will only need a few minutes to apply a dental sealant to each tooth
Each tooth is first cleaned thoroughly prior to the application of the sealant.
The tooth/teeth are then wrapped in cotton or other absorbent materials to help them dry quickly.
The dentist will then apply a special acid solution to roughen the tooth and then rinse and dry the surface.
He or she will then carefully apply dental sealant and help it harden by using an intense white light known as acuring light.
Contact Kids First Dental in Roanoke for more information today.