Making sure your child’s teeth stay healthy can feel like a full-time job. Helping them brush twice a day is essential, and so is teaching them which snacks to choose and making sure they don’t drink sugar-laden drinks like fruit juices.
All these steps are essential, and your effort now will help your child enjoy a happy, problem-free smile that lasts a lifetime. But there are other preventive measures your pediatric dentist in Prosper, TX recommends for children, and one of them is dental sealants.
What Is a Dental Sealant?
Teeth like permanent molars and premolars have rough, uneven chewing surfaces that collect food particles and bacteria that cause cavities. Since these teeth can be a challenge to keep clean, your dentist might recommend applying dental sealants.
A sealant is a thin layer of liquid plastic that’s floated on a tooth’s surface to smooth it and eliminate crevices where bacteria can hide. Once your dentist hardens them with a curing light, sealants last as long as ten years and will wear away on its own.
Do Dental Sealants Work?
Sealants are one of the simplest and most convenient ways to prevent most decay in molars and premolars, where nine out of ten cavities develop. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that dental sealants protect children against 80 percent of cavities for two years and continue to protect against 50 percent of cavities for up to four years.
Who Should Get Dental Sealants?
Dentists typically recommend placing dental sealants on permanent molars and pre-molars for kids between the cavity-prone ages of six and fourteen. Your children’s dentist may also be recommended for baby teeth and adults with healthy teeth and no previous dental work on the tooth.
Can Your Child Benefit from Dental Sealants?
At Prosper Smiles Family Dental, we’re as invested in your child’s oral health as you are. Dr. Vimal Patel is a pediatric dentist in Prosper, TX who is always more than happy to answer your questions. Please call us to book an appointment time, so Dr. Patel can examine your son or daughter to see if dental sealants are appropriate.