What Happens If You Put a Sealant over a Cavity?

Dental sealants are slimy and transparent coatings sealing the narrow grooves on the chewing surfaces of the molars. The protective barrier is positioned perfectly to cover the deep pits of the back teeth. Sealants aim to prevent tooth decay by guarding and supporting sensitive tooth surfaces from the acids that result in cavities.

Dental sealants near you are excellent for children’s molars because they are susceptible to tooth decay. When children develop their first molars at age six and their second at 12, getting them dental sealants helps prevent cavities and unnecessary expenditure to restore them from dentist 60453.

How Do Children Benefit by Having Dental Sealants on Molars?

Children favor sugary and starchy foods while remaining negligent about their dental hygiene. Dental plaque constantly accumulating on the teeth is challenging to clean for children and adults alike, especially in the back of the mouth. When your kid’s teeth are protected by sealants, the slimy material creates a smoother surface over their teeth to prevent the entrapment of food particles and bacteria that develop dental plaque.

The smoother surface created by dental sealants permits your child to clean molars effectively without confronting challenges. The slimy bonds help prevent 80 percent of cavities for nearly two years after an application while keeping the protection ongoing against 50 percent cavities for another four years. The sealants stay on the teeth for up to nine years but require monitoring by the dentist in oak lawn, IL, during routine appointments because they are susceptible to chipping and breaking. Therefore your children benefit significantly when they have sealants protecting their molars and preventing cavities from developing.

Can Dental Sealants Be Placed over a Cavity?

If your child has a cavity, they benefit better by getting a dental restoration with fillings before sealants are applied on all exposed pits and fissures. However, the placement of dental sealants over early decay helps prevent the expansion of tooth decay. However, dentists will likely not recommend sealing existing decay on teeth because there are modalities available to reverse the condition depending on the extent of the decline.

How Are Dental Sealants Placed on Teeth?

The placement of dental sealants is relatively easy and a painless procedure completed in a few minutes.

When getting dental sealants in oak lawn, IL, on your child’s teeth, expect the dentist to clean them to remove all plaque and food particles and examine them for signs of tooth decay. Next, the chewing surface is roughed up with an etching solution to help the sealant adhere to the tooth. Finally, the chewing surface is again cleaned and dried by the dentist before the sealant is painted over them and hardened with ultraviolet light.

You can move from the dentist’s office soon after completing the procedure with your child free to have the foods and beverages they want without restrictions.

How Can Parents Help Children to Care for Sealants?

Dental sealants are an effective preventive measure to care for children’s teeth. However, they cannot function without help from children’s parents. When sealants are placed over children’s teeth, they pose no challenges and require children to brush and floss with a soft-bristled toothbrush using fluoride toothpaste.

Parents must ensure that children having a diet high in colorful beverages might stain their teeth, and the sealant could pop off regularly if the child is allowed to have sticky or gummy candies and sugary foods. Children’s diet is essential when caring for their teeth and dental sealants. Therefore maintaining a healthy diet and home care routine is a requirement parents cannot overlook. Children will likely not be diligent with their dental hygiene and might not brush or floss appropriately. Parents must supervise children when maintaining dental hygiene practices to ensure they get maximum benefits from the slimy coatings on their children’s teeth.

When dental sealants are placed soon after the eruption of molars, before any staining or decay develops, they function efficiently to prevent cavities. In addition, dental research provides evidence about the reduction of cavities on children’s molars than in children without sealants.

Are Dental Sealants Expensive?

Dental sealants are a cost-effective solution to prevent cavities costing fewer dollars than restoring tooth decay. Getting sealants on molar costs merely $ 30-$ 60 per tooth and most dental insurance companies reimburse the costs for children under 18. However, the cost of having sealants on children’s teeth should not concern parents if they wish to avoid expensive dental treatments to restore permanent damage to their teeth.

Forrest Tower, DDS, provides dental sealant for children’s and adult’s teeth if unrestored. If your child needs an efficient measure to prevent cavities, please schedule an appointment with this practice for your child to receive dental sealants.