Because children are still growing and have not mastered a dental routine yet, they are especially vulnerable to cavities.
Made of a thin plastic coating, dental sealants act as literal shields against decay-causing bacteria so that your child’s smile stays healthy.
But why do children need dental sealants at all?
Understanding How Dental Sealants Help
By acting as a physical barrier, a dental sealant can protect teeth from bacteria and decay. They are most often applied to the molars, which are especially vulnerable.
Lower the Cost of Dental Care
The fewer cavities your child gets, the less you have to pay for restorative treatments like fillings and crowns.
Establish Long-Term Dental Health
Children do not always brush and floss their teeth properly, which makes it easier for cavities to develop. A little extra protection can lay the foundations for good oral health in the future.
How Many Children Have Cavities?
Will Insurance Cover the Cost of Sealants?
In most cases, dental insurance will cover some if not all of the cost of dental sealants. But the treatment is worth investing in either way. Prevention can go a long way when it comes to protecting your smile, and dental sealants are a key part of that. By waiting for a problem to develop, you may actually end up paying more than you would for preventive treatment alone.
What Should You Expect at the Office?
In most cases, your doctor can place a dental sealant after a regular cleaning in thirty minutes or less. They will:
Clean the tooth
Apply etching gel to enamel to prepare the tooth and rinse it off
Paint on liquid sealant
Set sealant with curing light
The doctor will typically recommend waiting at least thirty minutes before eating or drinking to ensure that the sealants set completely.
How to Further Protect Your Child's Smile
Because dental sealants are cost-effective, safe, and easily applied, there is not much need for alternative treatment. However, in many cases, your doctor may recommend fluoride treatments to further strengthen your child's smile. While fluoride is an important element of dental protection, it is not a replacement for dental sealants. Instead, the two work together: if sealants provide physical protection, fluoride reinforces the strength of the natural tooth.
Dental sealants are an easy, safe, and cost-effective method for protecting vulnerable teeth from decay. Safeguard your child’s dental health for a lifetime and schedule an appointment with the doctor today.