Great for adults and children alike, dental sealants are clear, thin coatings that are directly painted onto molars. Our Southgate, MI, dentists generally recommend this proactive treatment option when patients are more susceptible to cavities due to the fine grooves and pits located on the chewing surfaces of back teeth.
Here’s what you need to know about the .
Sealants are designed to prevent cavity-causing bacteria as well as food particles from getting inside the fine grooves on your back molars. While these areas are beneficial when it comes to chewing and grinding up your daily meals, they’re also narrow enough that toothbrush bristles can’t adequately clean them.
The ability of sealants to coat the surfaces of these teeth helps you avoid a more costly treatment down the line like fillings or root canal therapy. Our dentists encourage parents to pursue sealants for their children when cavities are most likely which is between 6 and 14 years of age. We’ll brush them onto their permanent molars and premolars as soon as these teeth start to erupt.
This isn’t to say that older teenagers and adults can’t also stand to benefit from dental sealants. If you show no signs of tooth decay and don’t already have fillings on your molars, we can apply them in just a few minutes. It’s a great investment for anyone who has a history of cavities.
Absolutely not. You don’t have to worry about the hurting one bit. Even better, there isn’t much preparation involved beforehand other than our team cleaning and drying each tooth that is receiving a sealant. After that, we’ll put on an acid solution that is used to roughen the chewing surface. This is what allows the sealant to form a strong connection to your tooth.
The sealant will then be brushed onto the tooth so it can bond and harden properly under a curing light. Once the sealant has been fully applied, the process is complete and our dentists will wrap up your appointment.
If you’re interested in learning more about sealants and how they can help your or your child’s smile, our dentists serving Southgate and Greater Detroit, MI, would be happy to speak with you. Call Northline Dental today at (734) 284-8088 to request an appointment.
© 2024 Northline Dental