If you want to do everything you can to protect your child from cavities, consider sealants. These protective tooth coverings give your child’s molars an extra layer of defense against tooth decay. For more information on sealants, call Smiling Faces Pediatric Dentistry in Oklahoma City or Midwest City, Oklahoma today.
Sealants are designed to minimize the nooks and crannies on the surface of a molar, preventing bacteria from accumulating in these small areas where it’s hard to remove with a toothbrush. By filling the top chewing surface of the molar with a thin protective coating, your Smiling Faces Pediatric Dentistry provider significantly reduces the risk of your child getting a cavity.
Placing the sealant is a fast and completely pain-free process. First, your child’s Smiling Faces Pediatric Dentistry dentist applies a gel to the tooth to prepare it. They then rinse, clean, and dry the tooth and apply the sealant. The sealant is hardened by shining a specialized light on it. After that, your child can continue on with their day, heading back to school or any other activity.
Absolutely. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control reports that school-aged kids without sealants are three times more likely to get cavities than those who have sealants. It makes sense, when the sealant is placed as a protective coating over the chewing surface of your child’s molar, there is no opportunity for bacteria to settle into the molar, thereby reducing the risk of a cavity.
Smiling Faces Pediatric Dentistry offers sealants as soon as your child’s molars break through (usually around age six for their baby molars and around age 12 for their adult molars). This way, cavities never have an opportunity to form.
With proper care, sealants last three years or more. At each biannual appointment at Smiling Faces Pediatric Dentistry, the team checks the state of your child’s sealant. They let you know when it’s time to reapply the sealant, which is another quick and pain-free process.
While sealants will defend your child against cavities for years to come, they’re not a replacement for good oral hygiene. Make sure your child is brushing and flossing daily. While the sealant protects the chewing surface of your son or daughter’s molars, it doesn’t keep bacteria off the other surfaces of their teeth. Daily teeth cleaning is important in keeping a mouth healthy and cavity-free.
Sealants alongside good oral care significantly reduce your child’s risk of cavities. If you’re ready to get started with sealants, call Smiling Faces Pediatric Dentistry.
