Dental Sealants
Orange, CA Dentist
Protect Your Teeth with Dental Sealants
Prevention is the key to oral health, and one of the most useful tools in preventive dentistry, aside from regular dental cleanings and dental exams, is the dental sealant. Dental sealant application is a simple procedure. Also, sealants are an effective tool for cavity prevention. They are especially beneficial in kids dentistry. Dental sealants can protect molars for several years when maintained properly.
What Are Dental Sealants?
Dental sealants are thin coatings that are applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, known as the molars and premolars. The top surfaces of the molars can have deep pits and fissures. The pits are prone to trapping food particles, which leads to the growth of bacteria. This makes the pits of molars highly susceptible to bacteria, cavities, decay, and tooth loss.
When our team applies sealants to the back teeth, it creates a protective barrier, and seals off these highly vulnerable areas from bacteria. Dental sealants prevent food and bacteria from becoming trapped in the pits and fissures of molars. When food gets trapped in these pits and grooves the food feeds on bacteria, the bacteria produces acid, and the acid eats away at the tooth enamel. Dental sealants stop the process that creates cavities before it ever starts. Used in combination with great oral hygiene practices, including regular dental visits, sealants are an effective tool in preventative dentistry.
Who Can Benefit from Dental Sealants?
Children
Cavities are a common problem for children. They occur when bacteria in the mouth feeds on sugars, then produces acids that destroy tooth enamel. Over time, these acids lead to the formation of cavities. If left untreated, cavities progress into more serious dental issues such as tooth loss.
Brushing and flossing are crucial to prevent cavities. However, oral hygiene alone may not always reach the deepest pits and fissures in the molars, which leaves these teeth susceptible to cavities and decay. This is where dental sealants step in to guard the child's molars. The sealants keep the food and bacteria off of the surface of the tooth, which prevents cavities, and also protects the child's dental health overall.
Adults
The the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that adults aged 20 to 34 have more untreated cavities in their back teeth than any other age group. As a result, young adults may benefit from dental sealants. Most of these adult cavities could have been prevented by having dental sealant treatments as children. Acquiring dental sealants as soon as permanent molars come in is a cost-effective strategy for parents and caregivers to avoid more invasive cavity correcting procedures, and to ensure their children's long-term dental health.
The Effectiveness of Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are effective in preventing cavities and this has been well documented through multiple studies. According to the CDC, dental sealants reduce the risk of cavities in treated teeth by up to 80 percent in the first two years after application, and continue to provide significant protection for much longer. This evidence highlights the importance of incorporating sealants into dental care strategies, especially for children during their formative years.
How Dental Sealants Work
The application of dental sealants is a simple and effective process. First, our team will perform a dental cleaning, and afterward, dry the tooth surface. Second, a special gel is applied to roughen the surfaces in the pits of the molars. The roughed surface allows the sealant to stick to the molars more effectively. After we rinse and dry the tooth a second time, the sealant is then painted onto the roughened surface of the enamel, where it bonds and hardens. This forms a shield over the pits and fissures in the tops of the molars. In a matter of minutes, a protective barrier seals molars from the potential decay caused by food and bacteria.
Dental Sealant Benefits
There are many benefits to dental sealants beyond cavity prevention. When we seal off those vulnerable areas of the teeth, the sealants also prevent the accumulation of plaque and tartar, which reduces the risk of gingivitis and periodontal (gum) disease. In addition, dental sealants are a highly cost-effective treatment. The prevention of cavities can save patients from the need for additional dental treatments for cavities, such as fillings, bridges, crowns, and dental implants. Additionally, dental sealants help keep our patient's smiles looking their best without cavities, decay, or tooth loss.
Dental Sealant Innovation
As dental science advances, those advancements will enhance the efficacy and accessibility of dental sealants. Innovation in dental sealant materials, application techniques, and affordability, are on the horizon.
All of these innovations have the potential to make dental sealants even more durable, longer lasting, easier to apply, and accessible to everyone. In addition, tele-dentistry and other tech-driven solutions are working toward bridging the gap in dental care access. Education and prevention are making dental sealants more and more popular each day because of their ability to prevent more extensive interventions.
In dentistry, sealants are a stand-out treatment for their simplicity and their ability to prevent and protect teeth from bacteria and decay. Dental sealants form a protective wall around the teeth, help improve oral health, preserve smiles, and safeguard our patients' well-being.
Why Choose Charlie Hsieh Dental Corporation for Dental Sealants?
Dental sealants with Charlie Hsieh Dental Corporation are an investment in the future oral health of all of our patients: children, adolescents, and adults. Applying sealants early on prevents the development of cavities, and thus, the need for fillings, caps, crowns and other restorations.
The early years of our lives are critical for establishing good oral hygiene practices. These habits lay the foundation for a lifelong healthy smile. When we safeguard a child's teeth with dental sealants, parents ensure that their children grow up with strong, healthy teeth. This not only helps greatly in the prevention of cavities, but more importantly, it sets children on the path to optimal oral health, and well-being overall.
Come in and see Charlie Hsieh, your Orange, CA dentist to get dental sealants applied today! Contact us at (657) 822-0328 to schedule an appointment today. |
