Sealants to Prevent Cavities in Orange County, Anaheim, Laguna Woods & Ladera Ranch | Emergency Dental Care

Sealants are thin, plastic coatings painted on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. Sealants are painted on as a liquid and quickly harden to form a shield over the tooth. Because the chewing surfaces of the molars have numerous pits and fissures, they can be hard to clean, even with proper brushing technique. Food particles and germs can become trapped there, causing tooth decay. Applying sealants does not require drilling and is quick and painless.

Sealants can last up to 10 years. They need to be checked at regular dental check-ups to make sure they are not chipped or worn away. Your dentist can repair sealants by adding more sealant material to the existing structure.

Many insurance plans pay for sealants. Check with your insurance company for details.

It is important to get sealants to prevent tooth caries. Sealants cover the chewing surfaces of the back teeth and therefore lower the chance of getting new pit and fissure caries.

Children should get sealants on their permanent molars as soon as the teeth come in — before decay attacks the teeth. Sometimes the bicuspids in front of the molars may need to be sealed. Teenagers and young adults without decay or fillings in their molars also may get sealants.

I if your child’s baby teeth have deep pits and grooves, your dentist may recommend sealants. Baby teeth play an important role in holding the correct spacing for permanent teeth, so it is important to keep baby teeth healthy, so they don’t fall out early.

The decay will not spread because it is sealed off from its food and germ supply.

Back teeth have more grooves and pits that can collect food particles easily and build up plaque and bacteria, which produces the acid that destroys tooth enamel. In addition, they are not easy-to-reach teeth to perform a proper cleaning.

There are six steps in a sealant placement procedure.

1. The tooth surface is polished to remove all of the calculus and stains.
2. The tooth is dried and isolated from the saliva by putting cotton around it.
3. An etching solution is put on the tooth to provide a strong retention for the sealants by removing contamination from enamel surface and creating microspores to increase the surface area.
4. The tooth is rinsed and dried again. Then new cotton is put around the tooth to keep it dry.
5. The sealant is applied in liquid form and is hardened using a light-cured technique.
6. An articulating paper is used for checking the occlusion to adjust if sealants interfere with the biting.

There are different ways to prevent tooth decay:

1. Use fluoride available in fluoridated water, toothpaste, and mouth rinse. Fluoride is the best defense against tooth decay because it inhibits bacterial activity in the mouth. It makes teeth more resistant to decay and also repairs tiny areas of decay before they become big cavities. Fluoride is also available in form of gel, foam, and varnish. They are highly concentrated.
2. Limit the intake of high carbohydrate food and drink.
3. Regularly brushing and flossing the teeth to control the plaque built up.
4. Maintain routine dental appointments with dentists so that preventive measures against teeth decay can be suggested and provided.