Are Dental Sealants Safe?
When it comes to a risk and reward analytical comparison there is absolutely very little risk what so ever when it comes to considering the application of a dental sealant at Wake Dental Care on your teeth. A simple preventive measure to ward off the damage of the ever-present plaque that sits on our teeth, it is an even safer bet with youngsters. Let’s look at what a dental sealant is, how it works, and the benefits have having the application. We can only find one negative result from the application and that is if you might be allergic to the sealant. Again, risk and reward dramatically out of balance.
What is a Dental Sealant?
A dental sealant is a thin plastic coating that acts as protective cover to the enamel surfaces of the teeth. Like varnish on a piece of furniture or wax on a car, the sealant flows into grooves and fissures that are found in every tooth. By filling those cracks and pits it prohibits damaging plaque to settle into the places that hide from daily tooth brushing.
How is the Dental Sealant Applied?
The teeth must first be professionally cleaned to remove any existing plaque. Then an acid like gel is put on the teeth and rinsed off. Once dried the dental sealant is brushed on the teeth and then dried and hardened with a blue ultraviolet light. A very simple procedure that reaps preventative benefits.
The Benefits of Having a Dental Sealant
Most of us don’t realize that there are millions of bacteria in our mouths every hour of every day. When allowed to remain on the teeth for as little as four hours the bacteria form a clear sticky substance called plaque. The bacteria in the plaque develops an acid that will immediately attack the hard enamel surface of the tooth. The result is a damaging cavity. Even though we may brush well we still cannot reach every surface of each tooth every day. Dental sealants are most effective on the harder to reach molars. With the dental sealant protecting the tooth the plaque cannot attack the tooth. The plaque cannot penetrate the hardened plastic surface of the sealant.
Can Any Age Benefit from a Dental Sealant?
The largest age group that benefits from dental sealants are children. Specifically, ages 6 to 12 when the molars are erupting. Children are guilty of being impatient, rushing and having a lack of attention to detail. If adults struggle to follow suggestions on good oral hygiene habits why would children do any better? It has been proven that children that do not have sealants applied have a three times better chance of getting cavities. With the application of a dental sealant the children can work on their habits but not be penalized for poor brushing.
Adults can benefit as well from having dental sealants applied. Perfectly safe for any age it fills those grooves and fissures to ward off cavities. So, when it comes to life’s many risk and rewards decisions, dental sealant is a very safe bet.
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