Dental sealants are barriers for your child’s teeth that protect the cavity-prone ‘grooves’ found on the surfaces of your child’s teeth. Have you ever looked at your teeth? If so, you will notice that you have deep pits and grooves on the biting surfaces of your teeth. These grooves are incredibly hard to effectively brush as the bristles cannot reach these deep grooves.
This is where Dental Sealants come into play. Sealants seal off these hard-to-reach crevices and create a shield on the tooth, preventing plaque and food from hiding away in these grooves. This barrier helps prevent bacteria from eating through your child’s tooth enamel – which without sealants can cause cavities. In fact, sealants reduce the risk of decay by nearly 80% in molars! Additionally, school-age children without sealants have almost three times more cavities than children with sealants.
Why Pediatric Dentists LOVE using dental sealants
Applying sealants is a quick process, and they last a long time. The sealant is bonded to your child’s teeth and hardens into the shape of the tooth. This shaping also bonds into the grooves mentioned above. The patient does not feel any pain, and no numbing agents are used during the sealant application. The sealant will then protect your child’s pearly whites from decay for several years and even endure through everyday eating. As your child attends their routine check-ups, your dentist will regularly check on the sealants’ status, re-applying when necessary.
It is essential for your child to see a dentist early on to apply Sealants and begin the process of avoiding decay. Decay in the grooves of the teeth can begin developing as early as a child’s first baby teeth develop. Without the protection of dental sealants, you risk your child developing cavities (or worse, a terrible infection).
If you are in the Northern Virginia area, Dr. Brown would be happy to see your little one and review how sealants can benefit your family. Dr. Brown is a Pediatric Dentist in the Springfield, and Fairfax, VA area. Call (703) 719-5828 to set-up an appointment if you are looking for a dentist for kids in the Northern Virginia area that your kids will LOVE!
