Benefits of Dental Sealants for Your Child

Parents and dentists combined want children to have the healthiest teeth possible. This is especially true as baby teeth are lost, and permanent ones come in. Even if parents assist their children with brushing and flossing at home, it’s often not enough to prevent tooth decay. Therefore, it’s advisable to consider the benefits of dental sealants for your child.

What Are Sealants?

Sealants are a dental procedure designed to protect molars from tooth decay. Your child’s dentist will apply a protective coating to their back teeth. This helps cavities from forming by guarding the surface of the teeth against the following:

• Bacteria
• Acid
• Tartar
• Plaque
• Other forms of decay

Sealants are especially important for children and their oral health since they may be less adept than adults at brushing and flossing on their own.

Protection and Prevention

Dental sealants provide both protection from tooth decay and the prevention of future oral health problems in children. Molars, in particular, retain food and other particles in their crevices. They can be difficult for children to thoroughly clean by just brushing. This remaining food breaks down, causing the surface of the molars to decay and potentially form cavities.

Sealants cover molars as a protective measure to reduce the formation of cavities. Your child’s dentist will apply sealant coating to the grooves of your child’s molars, using a professional instrument to ensure that the coating hardens, adheres, and seals the teeth. This provides the necessary protection for your child’s back teeth and helps prevent future oral health issues.

Peace of Mind

As a parent, dental sealants for your child can provide you peace of mind. Sealants do not replace proper oral health care habits at home. However, they do protect teeth from material that causes decay. This can save you time, money, and stress by reducing the risk of cavities and future dental treatments such as fillings.

Sealants are also beneficial in that they can be reapplied if necessary. In addition, they can be applied over surface areas of teeth that may already show signs of early decay to prevent further damage.

Overall, sealants benefit you and your child as a means of preventing tooth decay, maintaining oral health, and avoiding serious dental problems in the future. Contact your dental care team regarding more information about the benefits of dental sealants for your child.