Parents In Orange County Can Protect Their Children’s Teeth With Dental Sealants
At the Dental Oasis of Orange County, Brian Toorani, DDS leads a team devoted to providing the best quality in preventive dentistry. A graduate of the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, Dr. Toorani recognizes how important your dental health is for you and your family. So if you know that your family members are prone to tooth decay, you may want to consider dental sealants.
Dental sealants do exactly what you’d expect of them: they “seal,” or make your enamel impervious to decay and other problems that can occur. The sealants are usually plastic and are fixed to the chewing surface of your permanent back teeth, like molars, that have deep grooves that can be difficult to clean. Your molars and premolars are very important to your well-being because they allow you to chew your food for appropriate digestion.
Who usually gets dental sealants?
While dental sealants are usually given to children, there’s no reason why adults can’t benefit from them too since sealants can be placed over “baby teeth” and permanent teeth. However, children typically get them because they are still figuring out gross and fine motor skills, making it that much harder for them to adults need dental sealants, too. Plus, if you’re a parent, you know how difficult it is to be patient with a fidgety child and try to help them brush their teeth.
In short, sealants are a good preventative method for days when you’re child couldn’t care less about oral hygiene.
If baby teeth fall out, why bother with dental sealants?
Some parents have the misconception that baby teeth aren’t as important as permanent ones, but you may be surprised by their functions. For instance, if baby teeth are damaged they can cause permanent teeth to come in incorrectly, leading to poor jaw structure, overbites, underbites, and so on. If you want to avoid orthodontic costs later in the future, it may benefit your wallet to protect your children’s teeth with dental sealants; the sealants will protect baby teeth so they can set up the correct pathways for permanent teeth to follow.
Even if you are very good about providing a young child with well-rounded meals, he or she may inadvertently become malnourished if weak or decayed teeth have made it too difficult to chew. And if your child is very young, he or she could have delays in speech if there are decayed or damaged baby teeth.
One big issue that that sealants can prevent is infected pulp (the blood vessels and nerves of a tooth). While root canal procedures are typically seen in adults, children can actually need this kind of treatment if their baby teeth become too decayed. Because their mouths are small and continually growing, dental implants, dentures, and other appliances are not a practical option to replace missing teeth. And because baby teeth prepare permanent teeth to come in, saving the infected tooth instead of extracting it is important. However, a root canal should be a last-case scenario since it can easily be avoided with daily brushing, daily flossing, and dental sealants.
As you can see, while dental sealants aren’t a panacea for everything that can go wrong with your child’s teeth, they are an easy way to prevent decay and avoid bigger functional problems.
Even if they help prevent cavities, are they safe for my child?
There are two major kinds of sealants available: filled and unfilled. Filled sealants are made out of synthetic resin, like plastics. Because filled sealants have a high viscosity, they can fill quickly into all the grooves on your child’s teeth and create a barrier against bacteria. However, some parents are concerned about filled sealants because some of them are made with Bisphenol A, or BPA. And their concern isn’t unfounded since products made with BPA have been linked to numerous health problems. Thankfully the American Dental Association can put your worries to rest. They say that the BPA levels are negligible and well below the limit set by the EPA.
The other kind of sealant–unfilled ones–are made out of a fluoridated resin. These sealants are a little stronger than non-fluoridated ones since they can leach fluoride into the grooves over time, thus cleaning teeth even when your child isn’t! However, if you decide to get these kinds of sealants make sure that your drinking water isn’t overly saturated with fluoride. While fluoride is good for teeth, too much of a good thing can cause fluorosis, or discoloration and pitting.
Are there children who are more prone to cavities than others?
If you know that your child has bruxism, or teeth grinding, he or she can wear away molar enamel, thus making it easier for cavities to arise. Investing in dental sealants and a good mouth guard can remedy this issue.
However, the top cause for decay is too much sugar. Sugars contain acids that eat away at the enamel, and if teeth aren’t cleaned, bacteria can form and create plaque. If you let your child go to bed with a sippy cup or milk bottle, consider swapping out the sweet drinks with water instead.
How to prepare your child for the visit
Applying dental sealants is an easy job for a dentist; but, it may not be such an easy job getting your child to the appointment. However, you can make the visit easier by explaining the basics of the treatment. If your child is especially young, you may want to pick up a picture book that explains a dentist visit. Sites like goodreads.com have good book lists that you can reference before heading to the library.
You can tell your child that when it’s time for your dental sealant to be installed, that he or she will have his or her teeth cleaned and prepped to be sure that they are free of any obstructions that may impair the effectiveness of the sealant.
After the cleaning, an acidic substance is put on the teeth to make the surface rough. This gives the sealant something to adhere to. Dental sealants are initially liquid and are sprayed onto the tooth. The sealant will be hardened by a special light. Once the dental sealant is hard, the tooth is fully functional once again!
Contact Dental Oasis in Huntington Beach today!
Dental sealants last many years and can be replaced if your dentist deems necessary. If you have any questions about dental sealants or if you would like to request an appointment, call (714) 894-7700 or visit the Dental Oasis of Orange County.
I am thrilled that I found a wonderful dentist in Dr. Toorani and his team.
The office is aptly named. It really does look like a spa and is full of the latest gadgets in dentistry. It is located in the Bella Terra shopping center upstairs next to Bed, Bath & Beyond and right next to a Cost Plus. The location is easy to get in and out of and there is a parking garage if you are trying to avoid the often crowded parking lot.
Dr. Toorani is working on closing my open bite and alleviating some of my jaw pain so that I can avoid jaw surgery.
He is honest, fair and friendly. I would highly recommend Dental Oasis of Orange County to anyone in the market for a new dentist.Liz H.
“The Dental Oasis is focused on raising the bar of excellence with patient experience. Essentially by providing great customer service and exceeding expectations. Ultimately, it’s all about our patients and it is what we love to do. My passion is dentistry. My love is for my patients. This is why I come to the office every day. Our modern, tranquil, peaceful, and spa-like environment will make you forget that you are at the dentist’s office. We utilize all the latest technology in dentistry and offer many amenities that will make your visit a unique and relaxing one. Whether you need a teeth cleaning, crown, or dental implants, we are here to serve you. At The Dental Oasis you are family.” – Dr. Brian Toorani