As a loving and dedicated parent, you naturally want what is best for your child. This includes helping them look after their oral health in the most effective way possible. However, explaining the importance of oral care to a child is not always the easiest task in the world.
Fortunately, our team at Vista Dental Clinic has a way for you to help protect your child’s oral health. Dental sealants in Scarborough are a preventative, non-invasive dental treatment that can reduce the risk of cavities and tooth decay in young patients. Dental sealants near you work by sealing the ridges and crevices of back molars, preventing cavity-causing bacteria from contacting the tooth surface. Since this bacteria is unable to settle on the tooth, it lowers your child’s risk of developing cavities.
All About Dental Sealants
If you are thinking about speaking to a dentist in Scarborough about dental sealants, one of the questions that you likely have is how long they will last. Although dental sealants can remain on teeth for up to ten years, they are not always completely effective for this period. Because of this, our dentist near you recommends that you get dental sealants reapplied once every two to four years.
To comprehend why sealants need to be replaced this often, it is important to understand how they work and how they are applied to teeth. In essence, dental sealants are thin coatings of composite resin painted onto the biting surface of the teeth. Since molars are full of deep ridges and crevices where bacteria like to linger, they are the most common area in which children develop cavities. For this reason, dental sealants are most often painted over the fissures and pits of back molars. This creates a protective shield for the tooth from outside elements such as food particles, plaque, and bacteria.
The issue with dental sealants is that they eventually wear down due to the molars being regularly exposed to chewing forces. For this reason, it is important to get your child’s sealants checked regularly to ensure that they are still in optimal condition. Dental sealants that have become worn can lead to harmful bacteria getting trapped underneath the sealant and the formation of cavities.
To prevent your child’s dental sealants from damage, it is a good idea to encourage them to avoid harmful behaviors such as chewing on hard candies, nail-biting, and using their teeth as tools. Additionally, you should always encourage your child to practice good oral care habits. Do your best to ensure that your child is brushing twice a day and flossing once a day. Even though dental sealants decrease the risk of cavities and tooth decay, they should not be treated as a replacement for proper dental hygiene.
The Bottom Line
As you can tell, dental sealants are a preventative dental procedure that protects your child’s teeth from harmful bacteria and food debris that can lead to gum disease and tooth decay. Once they are applied, dental sealants are at their most effective for the first four years. However, you should ensure that their dentist regularly examines your child’s sealants to verify that they are in optimal condition. By encouraging your child to avoid harmful behaviors and practice good oral hygiene habits, their dental sealants will remain effective and they will enjoy optimal oral health for many years to come!