Why Should You Protect Your Teeth with Dental Sealant?
Protecting your teeth is one of the most important things you can do to maintain your health. Improperly cared-for teeth can lead to painful problems like cavities and gum disease, which can have a negative impact on your overall health.
One of the best ways to protect your teeth is by getting them professionally cleaned and examined regularly. However, there’s another important dental process that can help protect your teeth—dental sealant.
What Is Dental Sealant?
Dental sealants are thin coatings that dentists apply to permanent teeth. This coating aims to prevent cavities from forming in these areas. It also helps to strengthen the teeth and prevent tooth decay from spreading.
How Do Sealants Work?
Dentists typically use sealants to protect the chewing surfaces of back teeth, including premolars and molars. These areas are particularly vulnerable to decay because they’re used for chewing and because plaque can build up on these teeth more quickly than on the front ones.
The first step in getting a dental sealant is cleaning your teeth professionally by a dentist or hygienist. Before putting the sealant adhesive on the tooth, they will apply an etchant to the surface. This is a chemical that etches away at the tooth enamel, making it rough and porous so that it can bond with the sealant adhesive.
After waiting a minute or two, your dentist will put a clear plastic coating on top of this roughened area and cures the sealant with a UV light. The result is a protective layer over your teeth that keeps them from decaying.
Who Can Have Dental Sealant?
Anyone can have dental sealants. It doesn’t matter if you have a healthy mouth or one prone to cavities. They can help prevent tooth decay.
It is especially important with the following group of people:
- Children: Children tend to have more cavities than adults. This is because their teeth are still developing and don’t have a protective layer. Children who constantly eat sugary foods or drink soda are especially at risk of getting cavities. Teeth that get decayed early in life can lead to pain and other dental problems later down the road, so it’s a good idea to start protecting your child’s teeth as soon as possible.
- Adults with High-Risk Teeth: People with deep grooves on tooth surfaces or gum disease are at a higher risk of cavities. Once the decay gets into these grooves, it is harder to stop and can spread faster.
- Patients with Special Needs: People with special needs, such as those with mental disabilities or developmental delays, are also at a higher risk of getting cavities. This is because they may not understand how to care for their teeth and prevent tooth decay properly.
Conclusion
A dental sealant can greatly help you protect your teeth from cavities and other problems that can occur from improper dental care. By getting a dental sealant, you can ensure that your teeth will be protected from bacteria and other harmful substances. The best way to get a dental sealant is by seeing a dentist in your area who can give you all the information you need about this process.
If you have any questions about dental sealant or would like to schedule an appointment with our pediatric dentist in Weymouth, MA, contact Weymouth Dental Arts today.