Brushing and flossing your child’s teeth are the most effective ways to keep cavities at bay. However, cleaning every nook, cranny, and crevice of your child’s teeth isn’t always easy, especially with younger children. Thankfully, you can give your child’s teeth extra protection to help keep them cavity-free—the dental sealant.
A sealant is a protective and super-thin coating that’s applied over the back teeth or molars’ chewing surfaces. While it’s not a substitute for good dental practices, it can really help ward off the formation of cavities and can even help prevent decay at its early stages from turning into a full-fledged cavity. Here at the Finksburg Dental Associates in Finksburg, MD, your family dentists, Dr. Lisa Patel, and Dr. So Jung offer dental sealants as extra protection for your child’s teeth.
The Benefits of Dental Sealants
According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, school-age kids that don’t have sealants were found to have three times more cavities than kids with dental sealants. The same report also states that sealants can prevent 80% of cavities for up to two years following their application and continue to safeguard against 50% of decay four years after application. They can likewise even be retained for as much as nine years, but this will vary based on various factors.
Aside from preventing cavities, however, dental sealants also ensure that your teeth remain intact. Do note though that you need to have them monitored and maintained by your family dentist in Finksburg, MD, to ensure that they’re holding up well and are not wearing away.
How Dental Sealants Work
According to the American Dental Association’s description, you can think of dental a sealant as a raincoat for your kid’s teeth. The thing you need to know about cavities is that once the bacteria they harbor (the one that causes cavities) come in contact with food particles inside the mouth, they will produce acids that could create holes or cavities in the teeth.
But if your kid’s teeth are covered with dental sealant, it will effectively keep all those food bits out and thwart acid and bacteria from setting on your kid’s teeth, similar to how a raincoat keeps water away and ensure that you’re dry.
Want to find out more about how dental sealants can keep cavities away?
Book your consultation date with either one of our family dentists, Dr. Jan Katzen, Dr. Lisa Patel, and Dr. So Jung, right now. Call Finksburg Dental Associates in Finksburg, MD, at (410) 861-8900 for more information.