Dental Sealants: What They Are and Why You Need Them

Dental sealants are plastic covers painted over deep grooves on the chewing surfaces of molars. The material is applied in a liquid state so that it flows smoothly and evenly to fill in the crevices, but it quickly hardens under a curing light.

What Dental Sealants Do

Dentists put sealants on teeth that are currently healthy but still prone to developing cavities. Deep grooves on some molars can trap cavity-causing food debris and plaque bacteria that toothbrush bristles can’t reach. Sealants fill in those narrow gaps to prevent the start of cavities.

Why You Should Get Your Teeth Sealed

Dental sealants have several other benefits in addition to preventing tooth decay:

• Inexpensive
• Not noticeable (although they’re often slightly brighter than natural tooth color)
• Minimal and non-invasive procedure that requires no drilling or anesthetics
• Procedure is fast and safe, even for kids
• Harmless to tooth surface

There’s no reason to not seal a healthy tooth as a proactive step towards preventing cavities.

One Cochrane review of 38 studies on dental sealants concluded that sealants play a major role in preventing cavities in kids. Sealing your kids’ permanent teeth soon after they erupt can help them avoid the need for dental fillings later on in life.

Although kids can benefit a lot from dental sealants, they’re also a good preventative treatment for adults. Sealants are often placed on children’s teeth these days, but you may also have a few teeth that qualify for sealing.

Why not take advantage of a little added protection against cavities by getting a sealant or two?

Find out if you’re a candidate for dental sealants by contacting Elegant Smiles for a preventative dental health consultation.