What Is Sealant and How Does It Work?

Sealant is a thin coating pediatric dentists paint on the surfaces of a child’s teeth to prevent cavities and tooth decay. The sealant forms a coating around the teeth that acts as a protective layer against food and drinks. Sealant gets in all of the grooves and crevasses of the teeth, protecting even where a toothbrush cannot reach.

What Are Sealants?

A sealant is a plastic material that a pediatric dentist paints on to a child’s teeth. Adults can use sealant as well, but it has unique benefits for children. It is particularly useful for the back of a child’s mouth, which is hard to reach with a regular toothbrush. Sealant helps deal with cavities before they start, prevent plaque buildup, and decrease tooth decay generally. The sealant can prevent expensive periodic severe dental treatments and can be very helpful for children who have trouble with frequent dental problems.

The American Dental Association recommends that kids receive sealant treatments when their adult teeth erupt. Some kids are also just genetically more prone to developing cavities and tooth decay. Others may not have access to regular visits to the pediatric dentist, so sealant can be a good preventive measure to decrease the need for dental care.

Sealants can reduce cavities by up to 80 percent immediately, and can reduce cavities by up to 60 percent over a period of four years or more.

How Do Sealants Work?

Sealants smooth out the grooves in teeth so that bacteria and food particles cannot get stuck as easily. They literally “seal out” many of the things that cause tooth decay and cavities. Pediatric dentists often recommend sealants to parents for their children after their adult teeth have emerged completely so all teeth can receive sealant at once.

Dental sealants can last up to ten years, which means that they can last for nearly an entire childhood. However, a pediatric dentist should check the sealant periodically to detect any cracks or other problems. If the sealant breaks down, it is possible to have decay under the sealant, which can cause long-term problems that are difficult to correct.

If your child already has their adult teeth, you should consider adding sealant to your child’s dental regime. Talk to your pediatric dentist in Brooklyn for more information.