Keeping your teeth healthy could require more than just daily flossing and brushing. Certain areas of your mouth are challenging to clean effectively, especially the grooves on the chewing surfaces of your molars. While they are tiny, these tiny pits can trap bacteria and the food you consume daily, leading to tooth decay and cavities.
One of the best and most effective ways you can prevent these prevalent dental issues is by using dental sealants. You have probably heard about them, but many are unfamiliar with what they are, why they are important, and how the dentist applies them to your teeth.
Dental sealants are a painless, simple preventative treatment that your dentist recommends to adults and teenagers who want to lessen their chances of developing tooth decay at some point in their lives. Read to learn more about dental sealants and why they remain one of the best ways to keep cavities at bay.
Dental Sealants at a Glance
Dental sealants are thin, transparent protective coatings your dentist uses to shield the chewing surfaces of your molars from tooth decay. In addition to smoothing out your tooth grooves, dental sealants act as protective barriers that shield your tooth enamel from various elements that can cause tooth cavities, including acids from certain fruits and bacteria.
While dental sealants are mainly ideal for molars because of their uneven surfaces and grooves that trap food, dentists can use dental sealants even on premolars and bicuspids. However, premolars and bicuspids are not prone to decay because they usually receive enough fluoride from fluoridated toothpastes and tap water.
Although dentists usually recommend dental sealants to children, teenagers, and adults could also be excellent candidates for this treatment. A dentist uses a safe, BPA-free resin to make your dental sealants, which flow easily and smooth out the pits in your tooth.
Once in place, the dentist will use a special curing light to harden them in seconds, leaving you with a clear tooth-colored shield that protects your tooth enamel from erosion and cavities.
How Dental Sealants Help Prevent Tooth Decay
Tooth decay, also commonly known as caries, is a common dental health issue that can affect children, teenagers, and adults. This condition occurs when acids produced by mouth bacteria destroy your tooth enamel, leading to tiny openings or holes known as cavities. Often, tooth decay is associated with oral hygiene habits, diet choices, and your overall health.
When left untreated, tooth decay can worsen, leading to several oral health issues, including gum disease, dental abscesses, and, in some cases, tooth loss. Luckily, dental sealants could help halt tooth decay during its early stages.
According to studies from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and the ADA (American Dental Association), dental sealants can help prevent up to eighty percent of cavities within the first two (2) years. With proper hygiene practices, including routine dental appointments, dental sealants can last for several years. Dental sealants help prevent cavities by:
- Covering Areas of Your Teeth That are Challenging to Clean
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, dental sealants act as a protective shield against the elements that put you at risk of cavities. If you do not have severe cavities, dental sealants can provide additional protection for your teeth, helping prevent further decay. Application of dental sealants on your teeth allows your teeth’s enamel to remineralize, reversing the early stages of tooth decay.
- Sealing the Grooves in Your Teeth
Another way dental sealants help prevent cavities is by sealing the pits and grooves in your tooth’s chewing surfaces. These pits and grooves are naturally inherent in your molars to help you grind and chew food. Because of their shape and hollow nature, these grooves can easily trap food particles and bacteria, increasing your risk of tooth decay and cavities.
Once your dentist seals and smooths these grooves with dental sealants, your risk of developing cavities decreases because they can no longer trap food particles and cavity-causing bacteria.
- Making it Easier to Clean Your Teeth
While daily brushing can help keep your teeth clean and plaque-free, removing the food particles stuck in your teeth’s grooves can be challenging. That is where dental sealants become helpful. They seal and smooth these grooves and pits, preventing plaque accumulation and making it easier to stay on top of your dental health.
When your tooth surfaces are smooth, brushing and flossing the hard-to-reach areas of your mouth, especially the premolars and molars, becomes easier and more effective, keeping decay-causing bacteria at bay.
- They Maintain and Protect Your Teeth for Several Years
While dental sealants cannot offer you a permanent shield from tooth decay, they are long-lasting. If correctly applied and maintained through frequent brushing and flossing, dental sealants could last for several years (3 to 5 years).
Regular dental appointments with your dentist are also vital if you have dental sealants. During your regular dental appointments, your dentist can assess the sealed tooth and repair or reseal any damaged area. After repairing your dental crowns, your dentist will also advise you on how to prevent and minimize similar issues.
For example, he/she could advise you to avoid hard and sticky foods that could accelerate the wear and tear of your teeth and dental sealants.
Who is Not an Ideal Candidate for Dental Sealants?
You are probably wondering whether you are a good candidate for this preventive dental procedure now that you understand how dental sealants can help you avoid decay and maintain your dental health. During your initial appointment, your dentist can assess your dental health and medical history to help you determine whether you can benefit from the treatment.
For example, you might not be an excellent candidate for this treatment if:
- Your Habits Do Not Create a Dry Field in Your Teeth
Before applying dental sealants to your teeth, your dentist will check to see whether you have a dry field for applying dental sealants. If you have a dental anxiety that prevents your teeth from remaining dry, you might not be an excellent candidate for this treatment.
- You Have Cavities
While dental sealants help protect your teeth from cavities, you are not an excellent candidate for this treatment if you already have cavities. In this situation, the dentist will recommend immediate treatment of your problem first. Depending on the severity of your problem, your dentist can treat your cavities using the following:
- A filling
- Fluoride treatment
- Root canal therapy
- Dental crowns
- You Have an Extensive Restoration in Your Tooth
Your dentist can apply dental sealants to you even if you have a restoration. However, if the restoration is extensive, the effectiveness of the sealants will be jeopardized. Therefore, you will not be an excellent candidate for this treatment if you have an extensive dental restoration.
What to Expect During Your Dental Sealants Application Appointment
While fluoride in your tap water and toothpaste helps strengthen your teeth’s enamel, dental sealants can add an extra layer of protection, reducing your chances of developing cavities. The process of applying dental sealants to your teeth is painless and will only require one dental appointment. During this appointment, your dentist will do the following:
- Evaluation of Your Tooth
During your initial dental sealant painting appointment, your dentist must conduct a thorough examination of your teeth to ensure you are an excellent candidate for the treatment. If you have cavities, your dentist will likely recommend other preventive treatments, including fluoride treatment.
- Clean Your Teeth Thoroughly
Like when painting a wall, a dentist must clean the occlusal surface of the tooth before applying dental sealants. To prepare your tooth for dental sealants, your dentist will carefully clean the tooth surface with a toothbrush and fluoride paste. Doing that is vital to removing dental plaque and food particles from your teeth.
Then he/she will etch it up using a special acidic solution to roughen the surface of your tooth. Doing that is crucial because it helps the bonding material adhere to your teeth.
- Keep the Tooth Dry
As mentioned in the previous sentence, dental sealants cannot adhere or stick to your tooth surface if your tooth is wet. Water can act as a barrier, preventing dental sealants from adhering to your tooth surface. To keep the tooth dry, the dentist can use cotton gauze or a suction tool.
- Apply or Paint the Dental Sealant to Your Teeth
Once your tooth is cleaned and dried, the dentist will apply the dental sealant, which flows into the grooves of your tooth and seals them, reducing your risk of cavities. After applying the dental sealant to the tooth, the dentist will cure it with UV light to harden it.
Within less than 1 minute, the dental sealant will solidify, forming a protective shield that helps prevent tooth decay for several years.
Other Key Benefits of Applying Dental Sealants
Unlike what many think, dental sealants are not new inventions in dentistry. People have used dental sealants since the 1960s. Unfortunately, several people are unaware of what they are and their benefits for their oral and dental health. In addition to helping keep cavities at bay, dental sealants have several other benefits, such as:
- They are Cost-Effective
Dental sealants are an investment in your smile and dental health. Fortunately, they are a cost-effective option compared to the cost of you fixing a dental cavity. Also, some dental insurance providers cover the cost of this treatment, so you do not have to pay out of pocket.
Ensure you consult your insurance provider in advance to determine whether they will cover the cost of your treatment.
- They Offer Long-Lasting Protection to Your Teeth
While they are not permanent, dental sealants can protect your teeth from cavities for several years. That means you do not have to visit your dentist often for cavity treatment, giving you peace of mind about dental and oral health.
- It is a Quick and Painless Procedure
The application of dental sealants to your teeth is a breeze, as it is a quick, painless procedure. That means your dentist does not have to numb your teeth or gums using anesthesia.
Tips on How to Keep Your Mouth Sealed
Dental sealants protect your teeth from cavities, but they do not replace the need for excellent oral hygiene. Here are vital tips on how to keep your teeth sealed and your oral health in the best condition:
- Practice Regular Brushing
While dental sealants protect your teeth’s grooved surfaces from decay, they do not make you immune to oral health issues. Food particles and plaque can still accumulate in unsealed areas of the tooth, leading to other oral and dental health issues. Hence, it is important to practice regular teeth brushing and flossing if you want to stay on top of your dental health.
- Schedule Regular Dental Appointments
Even if you do not have dental sealants, regular dental appointments with your dentist are important. Regular dental appointments with your dentist allow him/her to monitor your dental sealant condition and offer professional cleanings, which help eliminate dental plaque.
- Choose Your Meals Wisely
As mentioned in the previous sentence, hard food like nuts can dislodge or crack your dental sealants and your tooth enamel. Hence, it is advisable to opt for soft foods like mashed potatoes and yogurts. Also, you should avoid using your teeth like tools to avoid breaking the dental sealant or your tooth enamel.
Reducing your consumption of sugary food and beverages is another way to maintain your dental and oral health. When those bacteria in your mouth feast on these foods, they release acidic excretions, which erode your teeth’s enamel, leading to cavities.
Find a Reliable Dentist Near Me
Dental sealants play a crucial role in preventing tooth decay, but not every person qualifies for the treatment. However, even if you are not an excellent candidate for this treatment, your dentist can recommend other remedies, including fluoride treatments, fillings, dental crowns, or root canal therapy.
We invite you to call our credible dentists at The Hawthorne Dentist at 310-775-2557 if you or a loved one needs dental sealants to prevent tooth decay and cavities.
