Dental sealants absolutely can help protect your teeth from cavities! That’s great news, right? Our Verdun dentist office loves to see our patients put healthy teeth at the top of their to-do lists, and we’re happy to apply dental sealants to help our patients prevent pain, infection, and other problems caused by cavities.
What Are Dental Sealants?
Using a thin coating of specially formulated dental protectant, your dentist will paint a barrier onto the surface of your back teeth (the molars). Dental sealants help keep germs and bacteria from invading the underlying tooth for many years, keeping chewing surfaces fortified from cavities.
Generally speaking, dental sealants help protect against 80 percent of cavities for up to two years. They maintain about a 50 percent success ratio for up to four years.
Can I Get Sealants Instead of Fillings?
Sealants are the protective barrier that’s put in place to prevent cavities. Once a cavity has formed, you will need a filling (or another dental element, depending on the severity of the decay).
Sealants can be a great option for children, as the preventative care is imperative when permanent teeth begin to appear. Children usually get their first molars around age 6, while the second set typically appears around age 12. It’s important to see your dentist regularly so he or she can assess your child’s oral health and recommend dental sealants when they’d be most likely to prevent cavities.
Do Sealants Replace Brushing, Flossing, and Fluoride Treatments?
Brushing and flossing regularly is imperative to a healthy, happy mouth. There is no substitute for either of these actions. Dental sealants are an excellent addition to standard oral care, but they should never be used as a replacement.
If your water has fluoride in it, that’s a plus in the cavity-fighting war, but it’s also not a replacement for dental sealants. In fact, these two things work very differently. Fluoride helps to prevent cavities by making teeth stronger. Dental sealants keep germs and bacteria out of the groves of the teeth, where they’d otherwise collect and eat away at the enamel. Sealants’ protective shields prevent germs from having hiding places within the nooks and crannies of teeth walls.
Are you searching for a Verdun dentist? Centre Dentaire is currently accepting new patients, and we’d love to meet you! Feel free to call us at (514) 367-0300, or simply book your initial consultation online!