Preventive Tooth Sealants
A Dental Sealant is a thin resin coating that is placed on the chewing surface grooves of the permanent back teeth — the molars and premolars — to help protect them from developing tooth decay.
In many cases the grooves of the back teeth are narrower than a single tooth brush bristle, making it impossible to remove the plaque bacteria when brushing. The sealant material "fills in" the tooth grooves so that plaque bacteria cannot enter and produce acid that can disolve the tooth enamel over time.
Typically, Dental Sealants are placed on children's teeth, but in some cases are also used in adults. Children and young adults are the ones that are more prone to tooth decay. The best way to protect the teeth is to seal the molars as soon as they come in. The recommended age for application of tooth sealants are between the ages of five and seven (that is when the first permanent molars develop) and then between the age of eleven and fourteen (the age when the second set of permanent molars come). Application of the sealant is a simple and painless process.
Sealants not only save teeth, but also save time and money that would otherwise be invested in the repair or replacement of decayed teeth.
