Dental hygiene practices like regular visits to the dentist, brushing, and flossing are critical in maintaining healthy teeth and gums. However, proper oral hygiene does not remove all the debris in the teeth, especially in the back teeth, exposing you to cavities and tooth decay. Luckily, with the advancements in dental technology and techniques like dental sealants, it is possible to prevent tooth decay and gum disease and enhance oral health. Even though sealants effectively stop early tooth decay, they are not replacements for good dental hygiene practices.

Dental Sealants at a Glance

Dentists recommend brushing your teeth twice daily, flossing at least once a day, and going for a dental examination twice a year to maintain healthy and sparkly teeth. However, this would only be ideal in an ideal world. Currently, your teeth are prone to decay because of the rough surfaces and pits in the tooth, particularly the molars, which trap food debris and bacteria even with a proper dental hygiene routine. Your toothbrush does not reach all the fissures and grooves in the mouth, allowing for bacteria accumulation that leads to decay. Luckily, with technological advancements in the dental field, treatments, including dental sealants, are available to deter decay.

Sealants are composed of a thin, clear, or white coating applied to the back teeth to prevent cavities. They separate bacteria from the molars, which are highly susceptible to damage from toxic bacteria that produce acids that eat away the enamel.

You should know that dentists do not recommend sealants for premolars because the smooth surfaces mean your teeth will not benefit from remineralization from fluoridated water and dental products like toothpaste and mouthwash. The sealants focus on molars because of the grooves and pits that make them rough.

Molars are the target because this is where most of the grinding happens. Food debris easily enters rough surfaces, increasing the risk of decay. Proper dental hygiene can remove some of the debris but not all of it, meaning you are still at risk of dental decay. Sealants act as shields between the tooth enamel and bacteria, lowering the chances of decay by 80%, per the Washington State Department of Health.

Sealants are ideal for children, particularly those whose primary teeth have big fissures and pits. Even though they will lose the milk teeth, protecting them is good because it allows for the growth of healthy permanent teeth. However, adults can still receive these plastic coatings to prevent decay and maintain healthy teeth.

The Primary Ways Sealants Pause or Prevent Tooth Decay

Your dentist can offer several appealing, healthy, and functional services. Additionally, dentists give clear instructions on how to care for their teeth through good dental hygiene practices. However, despite this, you are still at risk of developing cavities because your toothbrush does not reach all the fissures in the mouth, allowing for toxic bacteria buildup that produces acids that eat away the enamel. When the enamel is eroded, you risk developing cavities that cause decay and dental abscesses. These oral problems, if untreated, can cause severe problems like pain and tooth loss.

Luckily, where proper oral hygiene stops, dental sealants begin. These appliances act as raincoats on the teeth, preventing bacteria and acids from adhering to them, stopping dental caries from advancing, and stopping early tooth decay.

The main ways sealants stop dental caries and decay include:

Sealants Serve as Protective Layers

Dentists encourage patients to eat balanced, healthy food for healthy teeth. However, whatever healthy food you eat will likely contain sugars that react with harmful acids from fermented food in the mouth, eroding the tooth surface through demineralization.

Proper dental hygiene can help lower the effects of these toxic bacteria and acids in the mouth. However, the acids remain in the mouth because the brush does not remove all the bacteria. Therefore, demineralization continues even with proper brushing, weakening your tooth surface and exposing it to decay and caries.

Dental sealants create a protective layer that shields food particles, harmful bacteria, and acids from contacting the enamel and causing demineralization. While eating healthy will strengthen the enamel, it is insufficient to prevent cavities and decay, so everyone is at risk of developing these dental concerns. Nevertheless, the risk of caries and decay is eliminated with sealants, helping you enjoy healthy and functional teeth.

Sealants Simplify Teeth Cleaning

Sealants are typically applied to the teeth where a lot of grinding and chewing happens, which are molars. Sometimes, the dentist can paint the thin plastic layers on the premolars. One common characteristic of these back teeth is their many pits and fissures to crush and grind food. However, as much as the grooves are advantageous and effective in chewing, they allow food particles and bacteria to accumulate. Even when you brush, the toothbrush bristles will not reach some dark sections of these fissures, leading to plaque formation. Plaque, when left for long, produces toxic bacteria that can lead to infections and tooth decay.

Sealants help fix these problems by sealing the pits and fissures where plaque forms. They will not smoothen the entire tooth. Grooves will still exist to enable food chewing, but the difference is that raincoats make it easy to remove debris and plaque. Again, even if it accumulates on these fissures, the bacteria will not adhere to the enamel, causing demineralization, thus preventing or stopping tooth decay.

Sealants Maintain your Teeth for Years

Your dentist applies sealants on the occlusal surface of the teeth to penetrate the grooves and pits, forming a protective layer on the enamel. You can opt for composite resin or glass ionomer sealants. Your choice of sealant material is likely to determine their durability. Other factors that determine the durability of your appliances are your diet and oral hygiene practices. 

Standards with proper care can last for ten years. After this time, you do not have to visit the dentist for removal. They will wear out independently on the occlusal surface or biting side of the teeth, not the sides.

Also, you must know they are not replacements for brushing and flossing teeth. You will still have grooves in the teeth that accumulate debris and plaque. Therefore, you should observe your dental hygiene routine. Apart from brushing, you should use antiseptic mouthwash to rinse the mouth after brushing to kill the bacteria in the gum line and break bacteria layers on the teeth.

Again, you must watch what you eat to ensure the sealants last the maximum time. Avoid sticky or hard foods, which could break or pull out the sealants. 

Lastly, you should visit your dentist biannually for an examination. During the checkups, the dentist will examine the state of your sealants and determine if they need replacement. On average, you can replace them after five years, but with proper care, the appliances can protect your teeth for 120 months.

Finally, sealants are transparent or clear, enabling the dentist to monitor the condition of your teeth and ensure they prevent cavities and tooth decay.

Dental Sealants Candidacy

Dental caries are more likely to occur in the back teeth where chewing occurs. You can confirm this by running your tongue over the back teeth. You will feel grooves and depressions, which increase the risk of bacteria accumulation, leading to tooth decay. Because of the roughness of the back teeth or molars, children and adults are eligible for sealants as they are all at risk of developing cavities and decay.

Children can receive sealants at six when they develop their permanent molars. The following sealants can be painted at twelve when the second permanent molar develops. The sealants should be applied immediately to the teeth once they pop to prevent cavities because it is challenging to paint sealants on decayed teeth or those with fillings. 

Before treatment, you should speak to your dentist to determine whether you are a candidate.

Steps for Applying Dental Sealants

The application process is simple and painless. The dental hygienist begins by cleaning the surfaces of the teeth that require sealants. Cleaning promotes proper bonding to prevent the dental sealants from shifting after they have been painted. The hygienist also cleans the grooves and depressions to remove debris. Your dental hygienist can use a drill or mini-sandblaster to extract the debris.

Once the tooth is clean, the occlusal surface is treated using an etching gel. Your expert can apply the gel over the grooves using a brush, sponge, or cotton pellet. The gel contains phosphoric acid, which helps kill bacteria in the mouth after cleaning. The dentist gives it six seconds to settle before washing it. 

After cleaning, the next step is drying the teeth with an air syringe to allow for evaluation of the teeth. The etching gel dissolves all the minerals on the enamel, leaving it white and frosty. The teeth must remain dry until the sealant is painted.

If your tooth is dry, the dentist will use a brush or syringe to apply sealants to depressions or fissures that conceal debris.

The next step involves curing the sealant with a special light. After curing, the treatment will be complete. However, a competent dental expert will evaluate the sealants before allowing you to leave to ensure the boots are sealed sufficiently. Besides, they will check your bite to ensure the thickness of the sealant does not interfere with the bite. If necessary, they will use a drill to thin the sealant until you regain your normal bite.

The duration of the treatment varies depending on the number of teeth that require sealants. However, on average, applying a dental sealant to a tooth takes six minutes.

Dental Sealant Benefits

The common advantages of applying sealants are:

  • They are cost-friendly compared to the cost incurred treating tooth decay and cavities using dental implants and crowns in the future.
  • You spend less time in the dentist, and the treatment is painless
  • The treatment is not invasive, making it safe even for children. However, if you have an allergy, you should talk to your dentist about it.
  • Sealants are simple dental solutions for patients with dental anxiety, as they are easy to apply, painless, durable, and require only a single visit to the dentist.
  • Sealants are highly effective in stopping tooth decay

Sealants vs. Dental Fillings

When you want to protect the chewing surface of your teeth, you can use fillings or dental sealants to cover the fissures. The procedures are also very similar and involve UV lights and drills.

The distinction comes in the changes made to the tooth. A sealant covers the fissures to prevent debris accumulation, while dental filling involves filling dental cavities stemming from decay. The filling procedure involves removing the decay, cleaning the cavity, applying filling material, and hardening it with a special light.

Also, you will need sealants before you develop cavities. On the other hand, you will undergo dental filling after developing cavities.

Fluoride vs. Sealants

Fluoride in water, food, or dental products remineralizes the tooth enamel and prevents decay and cavities. Therefore, if you use fluoridated water, you could wonder whether you need sealants because your teeth are already protected. The truth is you will require sealants because the two work differently.

Sealants protect the enamel from acids and bacteria trapped in the pits and fissures, while fluoride strengthens the enamel by replenishing calcium and phosphorus lost when acids erode the tooth surface during demineralization.

Cost of Dental Sealants

The price of a sealant procedure is calculated per tooth, despite the number of teeth that require the procedure. On average, you will pay $30 to $40 per tooth, whether child or adult. In California, insurance companies offer coverage for dental sealants, so you should expect them to pay for treatment.

Find a Competent Dental Expert Near Me

Undergoing a dental implant or crown procedure because you have decayed teeth or cavities is expensive, not to mention painful. You can avoid these invasive and costly procedures by stopping tooth decay using dental sealants. The application process is easy, painless, and effective. At Northridge Advanced Dentistry, we prefer preventative dental care over curative care, so we recommend dental sealants for our patients. Find out if you are a candidate for the procedure by contacting us at 818-701-3010.