Dental Sealants 101: An Inside Look Into What They Are and How They Can Protect Your Teeth

One of the interesting things about the human body is that the strongest part is not the bones but the teeth. The shiny white part is made of 96% mineral making it very sturdy; how fascinating! This trait makes it withstand almost anything thrown at them and still serve you for a lifetime, only if you will show your teeth some love!

However, some people will have a challenging time cleaning their back teeth. When this is the case, bacteria find a perfect breeding ground and lead to plaque buildup, and in no time, you have dental cavities. Therefore, our dentist in Fanwood, NJ, uses dental sealants to cover your teeth to give your teeth that extra protection.

What Are Dental Sealants?

Sometimes when it rains, you can wear a raincoat to cover yourself from the rain. A fissure sealant uses the same principle as a raincoat in that they cover the back teeth, protecting them from the destructive acids released by bacteria as they digest food particles lodged in your teeth.

Dental sealants for adults come in the form of liquid plastic. However, after our dentist applies the sealant, it will harden on your teeth’s surface. So, the biting surface of your teeth will have a permanent plastic coating.

Tooth sealants are known to reduce the risk of getting tooth caries by over 80%! Isn’t this amazing?

So, How Do Sealants Protect the Teeth?

Your back teeth (molars and premolars) have deep pits or grooves, referred to as fissures. In most cases, food particles get trapped in these grooves. If you are lucky, your toothbrush will be able to clean the grooves. However, some people have some deep grooves that make it a nightmare to clean their back teeth.

So, bacteria will have a field day and feast on the food debris, all the while, the back teeth are bearing the brunt. If this continues over some time, the enamel will begin to erode. Then, the enamel becomes weak, and finally, your tooth starts decaying.

Fluoride toothpaste can help strengthen your teeth and keep tooth decay at bay. However, getting sealants will be an added advantage.

Therefore, if you get a fissure sealant, the deep grooves will be covered, and food particles will not get stuck in the grooves, thus keeping bacteria away. So, getting tooth sealants will be a great idea.

Who Can Use Tooth Sealants?

You will never miss the mark when you choose to seek preventive care is always the best way to go. Tooth sealants are a preventive treatment that helps keep the teeth cavity-free, and it cuts across all ages. However, some candidates will benefit more than others. In this case, children will benefit more since preventive care needs to start early when their teeth are still developing.

Therefore, our dentist recommends that your little one get tooth sealants between 6 and 14 years. At this age, they are at the highest risk of getting cavities.

However, this doesn’t exempt adults from protecting their teeth. The only requirement is that you should not have cavities on the back teeth.

You can also get dental sealants for adults if you have sensitive teeth.

Are There Different Types of Sealants?

When you come to our dentist’s office, you will have to pick between these two options:

• Resin Sealants

Resin-based sealants have evolved through the decades to what they are today. There are four generations of resin-based tooth sealants that have unique features. However, the fourth generation tooth sealant is slightly different from the others since it contains fluoride, which keeps the teeth strong and healthy.

• Glass Ionomer Sealants

These are also fantastic sealants since they are made to bond to the outer layer of the tooth (enamel) and the inner part of the tooth (dentin). Therefore, this trait makes them more effective in the fight against dental cavities. Plus, they contain fluoride, an essential mineral.

Are Sealants Safe?

Most definitely! So, your whole family can use them without fear. No research has been done so far that has suggested otherwise. However, some people might have some minor allergies after application, but it is short-lived.

Sealants are an ingenious way of keeping your family’s teeth safe. So, contact our dentist in Fanwood, NJ, to schedule an appointment.