All about Sealants for Kids
Once the permanent teeth come in, they should last forever, but you need to take care of your teeth and visit the dentist. But, even then you might need some treatments for them in order to make them last. One treatment is sealants for teeth, which can be put on during childhood and should be encouraged.
A sealant is a thin coating of plastic that’s applied to the surfaces you chew on, primarily the molars and premolars. Sealants are white, and they aren’t visible when a person talks.
The purpose of a sealant is simple, and that is to help protect the teeth from bacteria that contribute to tooth decay. Many times, the sealant is applied once the chewing surfaces erupt, which is between 6 and 12 years old, so they can be used ideally then. But some older children and even adults can benefit from this, and if you do decide to undergo this, it’s worth it.
This doesn’t require numbing or drilling. In essence, you begin with a hygienist cleaning the surface to eliminate the plaque and debris that comes from the fissures and pits of the teeth. From there, you can isolate the tooth so that saliva doesn’t’ cover the fissure and pit surfaces. It’s then dried. At this point, the hygienist will then begin to etch the surface in the areas where the fissures and pits are, and from there, the surface is dried completely. The hygienist will then rinse the etch, and dry it as well, and at this point, the tooth will be almost chalky in a sense. Then, the sealant is put on top of this. Essentially, they’re following the directions on the package for the sealants, and from there, they use a curing light for about 30 seconds or so in order to cure these. Finally, the dentist and the hygienist will evaluate the sealant, checking the occlusion of this, and then you’re ready to go home.
The evaluation for this is usually done beforehand to make sure that you need them. Lots of times, dentists will encourage parents to get these if they notice that the children have a lot of tartar on their teeth, and if they’re already susceptible to damage at an early age, this can be used. Of course, this doesn’t substitute the use of different dental procedures to help clean the teeth, nor does it supplant actual dental care, so make sure that you see your dentist frequently, and also make sure that you do take care of your teeth, cleaning them as needed, and from there, working to brush your teeth and floss them as needed. you’d be surprised at the difference this does make, and the almost miraculous different results that you can get form this.
Dental sealants are a great item if you’re looking not only to better protect the teeth, but also to enhance the appearance, and if you’re looking for easy protection, this is how it’s done.
