Brushing and flossing your baby teeth every day is one of the best ways to prevent cavities and develop oral hygiene habits that will last until adulthood. On the other hand, dental sealant is a preventative measure to prevent tooth decay. Keep reading to learn more about this prevention method and decide if it is best for your child.
Dental Sealants
When you touch the back and upside of molar teeth with your tongue, have you seen the cracks and pits that go along with them? They are known as “groves” and are victims of viruses and bacteria that form when food particles, especially carbohydrates, get trapped inside. Even the most determined brushes can struggle to clean these ducts properly, despite repeated brushing being too long.
Dental sealants are a light covering applied to a child’s molars’ biting surfaces to protect them against decay. Dental sealant is a transparent resin or thin white liquid sprayed on the upper side of baby teeth. The liquid sealant sticks to the teeth and dries with the help of blue LED light, giving it a solid protective coating. According to pediatric dentist Indianapolis IN, this protective coating reduces the risk of your baby’s teeth decay by up to 80%. Because it is not uncomfortable, it is non-invasive and does not require anesthetics or anesthesia. No need for drilling either, which is a great plus!
You’re Undoubtedly Curious About the Safety of Dental Sealants
Many parents are interested in the ingredients in sealants. Dental sealants are beneficial and made up of transparent resin. The flowing nature of the sealant is an important distinction. It will run smoothly into your baby’s small dental cavities and teeth when applied to the teeth with a small brush. Think of white nail paint for your teeth.
Do Sealants Help?
Dental sealant is used to protect the chewing surfaces of teeth that are more susceptible to bacteria. They effectively block the molars, making it easier to clean teeth and protect them from food particles and germs that might otherwise be hidden in them. Sealants protect teeth from cavities by “sealing” germs, food, and other holes.
Advantages of Sealants
The main advantage of sealants is that they protect your baby’s teeth from decay and, ultimately, cavities. Sealants are a cavity protection technique that helps prevent tooth decay. Children without dental sealants are three times greater susceptible may acquiring holes than their friends who already have sealants, according to the Children’s Dental Center Indianapolis IN. According to Pediatric Dentistry Indianapolis IN, dental salts can save $ 320 million nationwide dental bills.
Oral hygiene has a direct effect on a child’s academic achievement. Children with dental problems have difficulty eating and sleeping, which affects their attendance and academic performance. Although it’s a stretch to argue that dental sealants would improve your child’s academic performance, it does have a direct bearing on their child’s health and mental health. In other words, dental sealant is an easy way to help your child succeed by preventing minor problems from growing up.
There are no disadvantages to applying dental sealant. They may chip or wear from time to time, requiring repairs or replacements, although this is not particularly frequent and is not a significant concern when it occurs. Another disadvantage of sealants is that they do not last indefinitely. Sealants become thinner over time due to everyday wear and tear.
Sealants For Those Children’s Who Have Cavities
Dental sealant is an essential protective treatment that will give your child’s smile the best chance of success. Between the ages of 5 and 7, the first set of permanent molars, often known as “6-Year-Old Molars,” emerge. Your dentist may apply more dental sealants when your child’s next stage of molars — “12-Year-Old Molars” — come later.
Although it is less common, some dentists may prescribe dental sealant for young children who have wide grooves or cavities in their “baby” teeth. Although these teeth will eventually fall out between the ages of 10 and 12, it is still vital to protect the health of your child’s teeth to avoid complications later.
Life of Dental Sealants
Dental sealants for children are intended to safeguard your child’s teeth for at least 3-5 years and up to 10 years if properly maintained. Those children must visit their dentist regularly, which has dental sealants for checking. Are dental sealants in their place? They can be rapidly and easily fixed if they are damaged.
If the tooth is not perfectly clean and dry when the sealant is put, it is more likely to “fail” or come off. The application method may be more difficult for wiggly individuals or those with an active tongue or severe gag reflex. Therefore, your dentist may decide to postpone it for 6-12 months to allow greater cooperation.
Sealants Application Methods
Dental sealants are a simple and painless process. When you and your kid arrive at the dentist’s office for their sealant appointment, they will be seated on a standard exam room chair. With dental sealants, there is no need for drilling or numbing. You may anticipate a relatively quick and painless procedure:
- Use a brush to clean the teeth that will be settled with sealants.
- Using a tiny cotton roll or a triangular intra-oral cheek barrier called a “dry angle,” dry the teeth and separate them from any saliva from the tongue and cheeks.
- Use an etching solution to sterilize and prepare the tooth’s surface to be sealed for optimal sealant adhesion.
- Rinse the etching solution from your teeth and dry them again.
- Apply a fixing layer to the tooth’s surface for completely covering the enamel.
- Use an LED blue light to help the sealant “cure.”
- Your child’s visit will be finished after the sealant has been cured. It just takes approximately a minute to seal each tooth!
