What Are Dental Sealants and How Do They Help?
While brushing your teeth at least twice a day is one of the best ways to keep your oral health in tip-top shape, it’s not always easy to clean those tiny pits and fissures on the premolars and molars’ chewing surfaces, leaving them at risk of tooth decay. Afton Dental is pleased to offer dental sealants to provide that extra protection those pearly whites need to keep cavities at bay.
What Are Dental Sealants?
Tooth sealants are thin, plastic coatings that we place on the chewing surfaces of premolars and molars. The material flows into the grooves and crevices, where it bonds and hardens to the tooth surfaces, providing a protective shield. The sealed surfaces become smooth, and the tiny grooves and crevices no longer harbor food particles, plaque, and cavity-causing bacteria. With sealants, teeth brushing becomes much more effective at preventing cavities.
Who Is a Candidate for Dental Sealants?
We typically apply dental sealants to the chewing surfaces of children’s permanent molars and premolars that come in between ages 6 and 13. Sealing those pearly whites as soon as they appear helps keep them healthy and cavity-free right from the start.
Adults can also benefit from sealants placed on healthy teeth. A consultation with your trusted team at Afton Dental will help you determine if dental sealants are right for you.
What Is the Dental Sealant Procedure?
Applying sealants is a quick, simple, and painless procedure. We’ll start with cleaning the teeth thoroughly and then drying them. Next, we’ll place a solution on the tooth’s chewing surfaces to roughen them, which allows the sealant material to bond. After that step, we’ll rinse and dry the teeth once again.
Once the teeth are prepared, we’ll paint the sealant material onto their chewing surfaces. We may use a special curing light to harden the sealant. The resulting coating will provide a shield to prevent exposure to plaque, bacteria, and food debris.
How Long Do Dental Sealants Last?
Dental sealants typically last 3-5 years, although it’s not uncommon to see adults with sealants intact from their childhood. It’s important to note that sealants only provide protection when they’re fully intact. During routine dental exams and cleanings, our team will evaluate any existing sealants. If we detect any damage, we may recommend re-applying the sealant to continue preventing tooth decay.
Dental Sealants Near Me
Contact Afton Dental in Concord, NC, to learn more about our placing dental sealants to prevent cavities and enhance your oral health. Our team is committed to providing quality preventive services for long-term healthy smiles. Call us and schedule your appointment today!