Sealants Did you know that there are things you can do right now to save your teeth from cavities and damage? Dental sealants are one way that our dentist at can help protect your teeth from cavities. What Are the Sealants Used on Teeth?Dental sealants are an excellent way to protect specific teeth, and molars, that start erupting around the age of six. Sealants are usually made from resin that is thin and clear. It is very easy to apply sealants to your teeth. Our dentist will brush the sealant onto your molars and then use a special light to harden it. The sealant begins working right away. It blocks the acids from the bacteria that cause cavities and food particles from adhering to your molars. Sealants are not permanent, but they can last for several years before the dentist needs to reapply them. If you continue to keep sealants on your teeth, you can prevent more than 80 percent of cavities during the first year you have them. Why Do I Need Sealants?The main reason people need sealants on their molars is to protect them from bacteria. Molars are perhaps the most important teeth you have in your mouth. Most children get their first molars at the age of six or seven. Molars are made for chewing, crushing, and grinding your food, and they are specially designed for that reason. Molars are the largest teeth you have, and they are the only teeth that have two tooth roots rather than one. Your molars come equipped with a large, deep biting surface with deep grooves to help you break your food into manageable bites to digest. While you need these deep, grooved biting surfaces to help break down your food, the surface of your molars can also cause problems. Your molars are located in the very back of your mouth, which can make them difficult to brush and floss properly. Also, it is easy for food and bacteria to become trapped in the deep grooves that molars have. Once the acids in bacteria eat away at the tooth enamel, a cavity can begin to form. Because molars are located at the very back of your mouth, a cavity can grow quite large before you notice it, causing extensive damage to your tooth. If you get a cavity on the biting surface of your molar, it can be painful and will require treatment. Also, if a cavity damages your molar enough, there may be no filling your dentist can do to restore the tooth to its original strength. Who Should Get Dental Sealants?Sealants can be helpful for every member of your family. Children are among the first groups to need sealants on their molars. Once their molars come in, they may have a hard time cleaning them, which allows bacteria to grow and multiply. You may want to consider that your child has sealants put on the molars as soon as they erupt. Another group of people who may want to think about getting sealants is those who have a genetic predisposition to cavities in their molars. Many adults have genetically deep biting surfaces and grooves on their molars that make them especially cavity-prone. If you are among the few adults who do not have cavities, you are among the lucky few. Less than 10 percent of adults go through life without a single cavity. In addition to brushing and flossing and scheduling regular dental appointments, you may want to consider having sealants applied to your molars to give yourself a layer of extra protection against the bacteria in your mouth. Call Capitol Square Dental to learn more! |
 Phone(380) 383-3497 HoursTues: 9:00am - 6:00pm Thurs: 8:00am - 3:30pm M, W, F, S - By appointment only |
