Sealants

Sealants

Sealants seal the deal

Brushing and flossing each day are important for a healthy smile, but it can be hard for children to reach every nook and cranny, especially their very back teeth used for chewing—the molars.

Thankfully, there’s another way to help children keep those teeth clean. Dental sealants are a safe, easy and painless way to help protect teeth from decay. This clear “coat of armor” can prevent cavities and other problems from occurring in the mouth and can be especially effective in young children once their permanent molars appear.

The dental sealant process is simple. First, a dentist will clean the tooth or teeth being treated. After drying, a special gel is painted onto the surface of each tooth. To help harden this special coating, an ultraviolet light is used and in minute, the process is complete.

Sealants have been shown to reduce tooth decay by 70 percent1 and can last five to 10 years before they may need to be reapplied.

Sealants work differently than other preventive treatments such as fluoride. They keep germs and food particles from embedding themselves into teeth, while fluoride helps strengthen a tooth’s enamel. However, both of these cavity fighters have one goal—to help fight tooth decay!

This information is available to download as an oral health flyer.

1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Oral health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General—Executive Summary,” web.

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