Straight Teeth in Less Time
3 Things To Know About Dental Sealants
Lois Murray
If you have a young child, you might be familiar with dental sealants. Dental sealants are products that pediatric dentists often place on the molars of young children after the teeth fully erupt. They are designed to protect the teeth against decay, and dental sealants are great at doing this. Here are several things you should understand about dental sealants if you care about protecting your teeth and the teeth of your kids.
They add a layer of protection
Applying a dental sealant to a tooth does not hurt and requires no anesthesia whatsoever, and it offers an extra layer of protection to the tooth. A sealant is like a plastic covering over a tooth, and dentists primarily place these on molars. To put one on, a dentist will clean and dry a tooth and then paint the liquid sealant over it. After that, the dentist will dry the sealant, and it will be there for protective purposes. You cannot see dental sealants, as they are clear, but they offer so much protection for teeth. Before decay can attack a tooth, it must work its way through the sealant first.
They are not just for kids
The second thing you should understand about dental sealants is that even though they are most common with kids, they are not only designed for kids. In fact, anyone of any age could benefit from getting dental sealants on their teeth. The important thing to understand is that they do not work well on teeth that already have fillings. In other words, dentists can place them on any teeth, as long as the teeth are cavity- and filling-free.
They may need to be replaced
The other thing you should understand is that a dental sealant will not last forever. At some point, you will need to have the sealant replaced if you want to continue protecting your tooth against decay. In most cases, dental sealants will last for 10 years. Because of this, kids usually get them when their teeth initially come in and then one more time after this. Keep in mind, though, you can continue getting dental sealants even when you are an adult, and this is actually a good idea if you want to keep protecting your teeth for your entire life.
If you have any dental issues right now, or if you would like to learn more about dental sealants and other ways to protect your teeth, call a dental clinic like Centre Family Dentistry today.
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I had braces when I was a kid. Back then, you had to wear those metal wires and rubber bands for what seemed like forever. When I saw that my child’s teeth were going to be crooked like mine, I was dreading the years of braces and orthodontist appointments and limited diets that I saw stretching ahead of us. I was pleased to find out that braces today are very different from braces when I was a kid. They don’t need to be worn for nearly as long, and they aren’t as intrusive, either. My daughter got braces that can barely be seen, and she can remove them when she eats, so she doesn’t have to give up her favorite foods. I was so impressed that I started a blog to talk about modern day tooth straightening techniques. Braces have come a long way.