Let Dental Sealants Protect Your Child’s Teeth

You want what’s best for your child’s dental health. Perhaps you have heard about dental sealants and want to know more – or maybe dental sealants you have never heard of them.

If you live in the Reston, VA area and you are thinking about dental sealants for your children, the experienced and caring staff of Smile Wonders can be a valuable source of information for you.

Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of sealants or know little about sealants. While sealants have been around since the 1960s and are safe and effective, less than a third of children in the United States have sealants.

Dental sealants help protect your child’s teeth from decay. They are not only effective in tooth decay protection and prevention, they are easy and painless to apply and last a long time, up to ten years per application.

Sealants are thin, plastic coatings the dentist paints onto the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. The process is simple: the dentist applies the sealant as a liquid that quickly hardens to form a shield over each tooth. Sealants are placed on the back teeth, called molars, because the back teeth are more difficult to adequately reach with a tooth brush. Worse, chewing surfaces are rough, uneven, and contain pits and grooves where plaque easily gets trapped – tooth brush bristles simply can’t get into those places — and forms bacteria that can cause tooth decay.

According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, children should have sealants applied on their permanent molars as soon as those teeth erupt and before decay can attack the teeth. First molars generally come in between the ages of five and seven; second molars come in between the ages of 11 and 14. Your dentist might also recommend other teeth with pits and grooves also be sealed.

Your dentist might even recommend your child’s baby teeth be sealed to help prevent them from falling out too early.

While sealants are long lasting, the dentist should check them regularly to ensure they have not chipped or worn off and repair them if they have.

Sealants are added protection; they are not meant to replace regular brushing and flossing habits.

If you live in the Reston, VA area and are seeking the services of a qualified pediatric dentist, consider contacting the offices of Smile Wonders. For more information call 571-350-3663 or visit the website at www.smilewonders.com.