Sealants

Sealants as Treatment

Because your teeth contain pits and grooves, these minor imperfections are the ideal places for decay to begin. You can be a regular and thorough brusher but as conscientious as you are, your toothbrush can miss these spots.

There is a solution. Sealants can help you prevent these cavities. They consist of very thin coatings. These coatings are applied to these uneven chewing surfaces to provide a barrier that keeps bacteria and other debris away from the imperfections on the top of your teeth’s chewing surfaces.

Believe it or not, sealants have been around for almost 50 years. However, they didn’t come into wide use until the ‘70s. Fast-forward to the present and you’ll find that sealants have become very popular and they are effective. The most likely group for sealants is young children. Sealants are a perfect preventative measure because decay has not had a chance to set in, In cases where there may be some decay, it’s been proven that when sealants are applied they will protect against any future damage.

How are sealants applied? The first thing that must be done is thoroughly cleaning the surface of the tooth. Once that is complete, the tooth is then etched to provide a surface for the sealant to adhere to. Once the sealant has been applied, a warm light source is directed at that specific area to make the sealant dry more quickly. Chances are, your sealants will require re-application every five to 10 years.