Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are an important preventive treatment in pediatric dental care, protecting the back teeth (molars) from cavities. These teeth (the first molars and permanent molars) are especially vulnerable to decay because they are used most during chewing and are often the hardest to reach with a toothbrush. Compared to other teeth, molars have deeper grooves, which allow leftover food particles to collect more easily. As a result, tooth sealants help prevent cavities by protecting these vulnerable areas and reducing the risk of tooth decay.
First molars typically emerge between 5 and 7 years of age, with a second set of permanent molars emerging between 11 and 14 years of age. These molars eventually become part of your child’s permanent teeth. Placing sealants early, as soon as these teeth erupt, helps protect them during the years they are most prone to cavities and supports long-term oral health by preventing cavities and tooth decay before they start.
Schedule Your AppointmentWhat Are Dental Sealants?
Dental sealants are thin, protective coatings brushed onto teeth to help prevent food particles and bacteria from settling in. Your dentist will apply sealants to the chewing surfaces—or occlusal surfaces—of molars and premolars in the back of the mouth. These teeth typically have deep grooves that are difficult to clean thoroughly with brushing and flossing alone, even when using fluoride toothpaste. Dental sealants create a physical barrier over the grooves, preventing cavities by blocking bacteria and food debris from settling in hard-to-reach areas.
At Gentle Care Dentistry in Las Cruces, NM, we often recommend dental sealants for children with deep pits and grooves in their back teeth, which increase their risk of cavities. Placing sealants early helps keep your child’s teeth healthy by reducing the risk of dental caries and supporting consistent caries prevention, which helps prevent tooth decay over time.
Benefits of Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are safe and comfortable, making them an excellent choice for kids with few downsides and positive feelings about their visit. Some of the benefits of pediatric dental sealants include:
- Painless Application: Dental sealants are applied directly to your child’s teeth, requiring no drilling or anesthesia. The painless process makes sealants stress-free for kids and parents while helping prevent cavities as part of routine dental care.
- Proven Protection: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dental sealant placement reduces cavities in molars by about 80% during the first two years, making them an effective preventive option that helps reduce early tooth decay.
- Long-Lasting Effects: Dental sealants can offer many years of protection with proper care. Your dentist can determine whether dental sealants need to be reapplied to maintain their effects as part of ongoing dental care and to reduce the need for future dental fillings.
In some cases, dental sealants may offer protective benefits for teeth with very early, non-cavitated decay by preventing bacteria from entering the tooth. Dental sealants create a protective shield that blocks cavity-causing bacteria from accessing nutrients, helping slow or stop early decay from progressing into a cavity. However, dental sealants are ineffective on teeth that have already experienced significant decay.
Types of Dental Sealants
There are two main types of dental sealants used in preventive dentistry: resin-based sealants and glass ionomer sealants, both of which are effective in protecting teeth. These sealants differ from other dental materials used for restoration, such as dental fillings, and are designed specifically for prevention.
- Resin-Based Sealants: Resin-based sealants are made from a tooth-colored material that bonds securely to the tooth surface, forming a durable protective shield against tooth decay. This sealant material is generally preferred for its durability and longevity compared to other dental materials. Resin-based dental sealants are the most popular due to their strength and ability to form a tight seal over the tooth surface. The American Dental Association recommends resin-based sealants for most children and adolescents to help prevent cavities on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth.
- Glass Ionomer Sealants: Glass ionomer sealants are made from a blend of glass and acrylic. This type of dental sealant material is sometimes chosen for children at higher risk of cavities or for those with partially erupted teeth.
The choice of sealant material depends on several factors, including your child’s risk for tooth decay, tooth sensitivity, and overall oral health. Your dentist or dental hygienist will recommend the most appropriate sealant material to ensure effective, long-lasting protection of your child’s teeth.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Sealants?
Children between the ages of 6 and 14 are generally good candidates for dental sealants, but the ideal candidates include:
- Children With New Molars: The sooner dental sealants are applied to newly erupted molars, especially the first molars, the more effective they can be at protecting these teeth that are at the highest risk for decay.
- Children With Oral Hygiene Challenges: Kids who have difficulty maintaining consistent brushing and flossing particularly benefit from the protection dental sealants provide as part of preventive dental care.
- Children With a History of Cavities: If your child has a history of early cavities, dental sealants add an extra layer of protection that may help prevent future tooth decay.
Some children at high risk for cavities in their baby teeth may be earlier candidates for dental sealants to prevent early loss of baby teeth and preserve space for the adult teeth to come in. Dental sealants can also be applied to permanent teeth, providing ongoing protection against decay as children grow into adulthood. At Gentle Care Dentistry, our dentists and dental hygienists have years of experience in pediatric dentistry. They will evaluate your child’s oral health and history to determine whether dental sealants are the right choice.
How Are Dental Sealants Applied?
The application of dental sealants is a simple, painless process for children and typically takes just a few minutes per tooth, without anesthesia.
The most critical factor that determines the efficacy of dental sealants is how well they adhere to your child’s teeth. That’s where the sealant application process comes in. To begin, your dentist will clean the tooth with toothbrush bristles to remove plaque and debris from the tooth surface, then thoroughly rinse the cleaning agent away. The tooth must then be thoroughly dried for the next step.
Next, your dentist applies a gel to the tooth’s surface, ensuring it reaches all the pits and grooves. This solution makes the surface slightly rough, allowing the sealant to adhere more effectively. The tooth must be rinsed and dried once more to prepare it for the sealant.
During the final step, the liquid sealant is brushed onto the tooth. A special curing light hardens the sealant material and bonds it to the tooth, forming a durable protective barrier that helps prevent cavity-causing bacteria and tooth decay. During this step, patients and staff typically wear safety glasses to protect their eyes from the curing light.
How Long Do Dental Sealants Last?
Dental sealants can last several years and, in some cases, up to 10 years with proper care and regular dental checkups. During your child’s regular dental visits, your dentist will inspect the sealants for wear and damage, such as chips or cracks. Damaged dental sealants should be repaired or replaced promptly to maintain their protective function. If damage is detected, the dental sealants can be reapplied to maintain the valuable protection throughout childhood.
Regular visits to your dental practice are important for monitoring the condition of dental sealants and ensuring long-term protection against tooth decay and continued oral health.
Your Trusted Dental Sealant Provider in Las Cruces, NM
To learn more about dental sealants and how they can help prevent cavities while keeping your child’s teeth healthy, contact Gentle Care Dentistry in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Call us at (575) 524-3722 or complete our online contact form to schedule your child’s appointment.