As your child begins losing their baby teeth, it’s important to consider taking precautionary measures that will protect their emerging adult teeth. One of the ways you can ensure your child’s permanent teeth stay strong and healthy is by having dental sealants applied. Sealants can easily be applied by your local family dentist on Long Island and will protect your child’s teeth for years.
What Are Dental Sealants?
Dental sealants are applied to the grooves of your child’s permanent molars, the area where most chewing occurs. Sealants, typically made of special plastic, are thin and unnoticeable. Leaving your child’s molars unprotected can lead to serious damage, which is why it’s important to protect the teeth as soon as possible.
Sealants can prevent cavities and reduce tooth decay. While brushing and flossing can remove much of the food from our mouths, it’s tough for these tools to get deep into the grooves of our molars. Coupled with the fact that we chew with our molars, and it’s easy to see how quickly food could be trapped there. Once trapped, food will turn into bacteria and dangerous plaque, accelerating tooth decay.
Once a tooth begins to experience decay, it is no longer eligible to receive a sealant. As your child begins losing their baby teeth, begin discussing sealants with your family dentist on Long Island. That way, when your child’s adult teeth fully emerge, the sealants can be applied immediately. For most children, this happens between ages 6-12.
Once the sealant is applied, it is typically there for life. If a sealant does happen to crack, which is rare, it can be repaired without a problem.
Applying Sealants
Your family dentist on Long Island will be able to apply dental sealants for your child in a quick, easy procedure. The procedure is painless and will not require any drilling or significant dental alterations.
Your Long Island family dentist will first clean your child’s tooth, and then prepare the tooth for the sealant. The sealant is then applied to the top of the tooth and is bonded to the tooth’s existing enamel. A bonding light may be used to accelerate the drying process. Once the sealant has dried, your child will be able to eat as normal.
In all, the procedure takes ten to fifteen minutes but will provide a lifetime of protection.
