The Benefits of Sealants in Preventing Tooth Decay in Children and Adults

Young children are especially prone to cavities due to their heavy intake of sweets. One way to protect their teeth from cavities is to apply sealants as soon as their molars and premolars erupt – this will give their molars and premolars time to harden after eruption.

Preventative treatments like tooth sealing are fast, painless and inexpensive – highly recommended for children with permanent molars but even adults with healthy chewing surfaces may benefit.

Prevents Cavities

People often assume sealants are only used as preventive measures for children, but sealants can actually provide great benefit for adults as well. Adult teeth contain pits and grooves on their chewing surfaces which create hiding places for food debris and plaque build-up, increasing your risk for tooth decay. Sealants coat these grooves to block out these hiding places for plaque and sugar buildup thereby decreasing your likelihood of tooth decay.

CDC data indicates that sealants can reduce tooth decay by as much as 80% after two years and 50% after four. This investment can save both you and your dentist from dealing with cavities later.

Children and teenagers make good candidates for dental sealants since their permanent molars have yet to show any signs of decay. Adults can also benefit from sealants if their eating habits lead to frequent tooth decay; dental sealants are an easy, noninvasive solution which can be done during regular dentist appointments.

Prevents Pain

Filings are a common solution for cavities, but prevention would be much simpler and cost-effective. Sealants protect the chewing surfaces of back teeth by filling narrow depressions and grooves (pits and fissures) that are hard to keep clean with regular brushing, keeping food and plaque away from these tight spaces, thus decreasing risk for decay.

Children can benefit from sealing permanent molars as soon as they begin developing, but sealants may also be applied to baby teeth that have deep grooves. A sealant typically lasts two to seven years but should be regularly checked by a dentist to ensure its condition remains optimal.

Studies show that children who wear sealants on their molars experience three times fewer cavities than those without sealants, making sealants an efficient and affordable way to keep your child’s smile healthy and bright.

Prevents Bacteria from Accumulating

Sealants provide protection for molar chewing surfaces with pits and grooves that trap food particles, encouraging bacteria growth. Sealants cover these vulnerable spots with an easy-to-clean surface so children who receive sealants before any decay develop can avoid expensive dental procedures like fillings.

Bacteria in your mouth feed on sugars and produce acids that erode tooth enamel, eventually creating holes or cavities. Sealants protect teeth by covering grooves or depressions on molars or premolars with plastic-like resin to block these acids’ attack on enamel.

Imagine sealants as raincoats for teeth. Used alongside fluoride treatments, good oral hygiene habits, healthy food selection and regular dental visits, sealants can reduce the risk of decay among children’s molars and premolars as soon as they come in and reduce time, money and discomfort for adults requiring fillings. Sealants should ideally be applied immediately following birth; adults may receive them when necessary to protect healthy teeth from decaying further down the line.

Prevents Tooth Wear

Parents often teach their children proper oral hygiene habits in the hopes that brushing, flossing, rinsing and scheduling regular dental checkups will provide protection from cavities in deep grooves and depressions of molars. Unfortunately, however, these methods don’t always guarantee total protection against decay in these places.

Sealants filling grooves and depressions is an efficient solution to this difficulty, enabling food particles to remain hidden while plaque accumulates on them. Sealant application is quick and painless; simply clean your teeth thoroughly prior to drying off with a special curing light before hardening the sealant for maximum protection.

Sealants should be applied as soon as molars erupt, protecting children through the cavity-prone years between 6-14. But adults can also reap significant advantages from this safe and effective preventative measure.