Preventive dentistry includes routine dental screening provided by our dentist in Columbia to check the health of your gums and teeth. In addition, dental sealants are beneficial for children who do not have the best brushing skills and are prone to dental caries.
The thin plastic coating applied to the chewing surface of molars is called a dental sealant. They help prevent tooth decay by bonding into the cracks and pits of the teeth, forming a protective layer on the enamel of each tooth.
Dental sealants are applied to the molars and premolars to prevent tooth decay. The liquid sealant applied to the tooth will penetrate the alveolar and harden under the action of ultraviolet light, thereby forming a cohesive shielding layer on the tooth enamel.
Dental sealants effectively prevent cavities, tooth decay, and dental caries in children and adolescents. Dental sealants for adults are necessary when molars have no holes and no restoration.
It’s vital to understand that dental sealants are a preventive measure against tooth decay and cavities. If your molars have been affected, it is not a remedy to cure existing decay or cavities. If the decay has reached the tooth’s root, you may need to extract the molars.
Children should get the sealant for teeth as soon as the permanent molars and premolars appear. The dental bond protects children’s teeth during the decay-prone period between 6 and early adolescent years.
If young children have deep depressions and grooves in their deciduous teeth, they should also receive dental sealant. Deciduous teeth are crucial in providing the space required to accommodate permanent teeth. Therefore, it is essential to keep baby teeth healthy to ensure they do not fall out prematurely.
Dental sealants application is a simple procedure that only takes a few minutes and does not cause any anxiety. The dentist in Columbia will follow the steps below to apply a sealant to your child’s molars.
When brushing and flossing, it’s easier to remove food debris and plaque from the smoother surfaces of your teeth. However, it’s challenging to reach the grooves and pits of the molars to remove plaque. Dental sealants protect the teeth by sealing the fissures and cavities of the molars to prevent food and plaque from getting between them.
Sealants for teeth prevent 80% of tooth decay in the first two years after use, thereby helping to protect children’s molars. This protection prevents 50% of tooth decay for four years, and the sealant remains on the child’s teeth for around nine years.
Because of the protective barrier, children with dental sealants on their teeth are less likely to experience molar cavities. Unfortunately, children who do not have sealants on their teeth are three times more likely to develop tooth decay than children with sealants.
Dental sealants are effective measures to protect molars from cavities and tooth decay. Although children are the primary recipients of sealants, adults can also use them without existing holes. Dental sealants can prevent tooth decay but don’t reverse the permanent damage caused by cavities. However, one can correct cavities using fillings and other restoration procedures.
Suppose you are looking for dental sealants near you. At Model Dental Clinic, we provide services to Colombia and nearby areas. We help patients optimize their dental health by providing preventive treatments such as dental sealants. Schedule an appointment with us to discuss why bonds are crucial for your family.
Our goal is to get the perfect smile option in Columbia, MD and we are proudly accepting new patients across the following areas: