Dental sealants are thin, protective coatings (made from plastic or other dental materials) that adhere to the chewing surface of the teeth. Typically, sealants are applied to the back teeth (molars) since the deep pits and grooves of molars are more likely to suffer from decay. The sealants, in addition to regular brushing and flossing are to help prevent or further stop any stages of decay from occurring.

Who is a candidate for sealants?   

Generally, children are the ideal candidates for sealants since the teeth seem to have larger pits or grooves on their chewing surfaces of the teeth. However, in some cases, adults may require a sealant if there may be a tooth that looks suspicious of receiving decay.

Specifically, if you have a child with their first molars (6-year molars) and second molars (12-year molars), and these teeth have deep grooves or pits, it is very likely that a dentist or dental hygienist would recommend dental sealants your child’s molars. It would be very beneficial to them in the long run, rather than suffering from any decay.

How are sealants applied?

The dentist will clean and dry the tooth before placing an acidic gel on the tooth. This gel helps to allow a strong bond to form between the tooth and sealant. After a few seconds, the dentist will rinse off the acidic gel and dry the tooth again prior to applying the sealant onto the grooves or pits of the tooth. Following, the dentist will use a bright blue light, which helps to harden the sealant.

After quite some time, you may need to have new sealants applied since they don’t last forever. During regular visits, a dentist or orthodontist will be able to effectively monitor the condition of dental sealants to see when they may need to be replaced.

Contact Us

If you feel that your child may need sealants or are looking for more information about sealants, those of us at Sims Orthodontics would be more than happy to assist you! Please feel free to contact us so that we can provide as much information as possible about sealants. We look forward to hearing from you.