A Children’s Dentist Explains the Benefits of Dental Sealants

Dental sealants are one of the preventive treatments our children’s dentist recommends to protect your kids against tooth decay, the leading dental issue that affects children. Dental sealants are protective blockades placed on teeth to seal out bacteria and foods that cause decay.

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, sealants decrease the risk of cavities by 86% after a year and 58% after four years. Applying dental sealants on teeth is an effective way to protect against decay, but many parents do not know much about them since the procedure was developed in the last two decades.

Our children’s dentist explains the benefits of dental sealants

Tooth decay is caused by bacteria that are part of the mouth’s ecosystem consuming sugars in tiny food particles left on teeth and converting them into teeth-destroying acids. These microbes coat teeth with plaque – the sticky film that accumulates on teeth – and produce acids that eat away teeth structures. Plaque can be removed by brushing and flossing.

Plaque left on teeth for more than 24 hours hardens into tartar. Tartar is too hard for a toothbrush or floss to remove, so it keeps bacteria protected as they damage teeth. A scaler is used to remove tartar during teeth cleaning procedures performed by dentists.

According to our children’s dentist, dental sealants form a barrier that prevents food, bacteria, and acids from making contact with the biting surfaces of teeth, preventing them from pit and fissure decay. The number of teeth each child needs sealants on varies based on how vulnerable they are to decay. The American Dental Association recommends protecting all primary biting teeth (molars) with sealants as soon as they erupt. All of a child’s teeth are vulnerable to decay, but the molars are the most susceptible due to their positions in the back of the mouth and flat design. Parents should consider getting all of their children’s teeth coated with sealants for maximum protection.

The benefits of covering teeth with sealants include:

1. Fewer cavities for up to four years

Dental sealants reduce the risk of decay by 58% up to four years after the treatment. Sealants can also be topped up as needed to ensure continuous protection. Fewer cavities mean your child spends less time dealing with agonizing toothaches that can distract them from focusing on important things like schoolwork. It also means fewer emergency trips to the dentist.

2. Fewer tooth decay treatments

Protecting a child’s teeth with dental sealants means less need for restorative dental treatments that treat tooth decay. While some tooth decay treatments like the application of fillings are quite affordable, others like the placement of crowns and root canals are not. A child needing fewer tooth decay treatments leads to lower dental bills for parents.

3. Keep your child’s smile healthy

Tooth decay can ruin a child’s smile in different ways. It can cause baby teeth to fall out prematurely, leading to bite issues in the future. Tooth decay also discolors teeth, ruining how your child’s teeth look. Coating a child’s teeth with dental sealants protects them from the top dental issue children face and keeps their smiles healthy.