How Dental Sealants Are Used in Preventive Dentistry
Preventive dentistry is an area of dental healthcare that majors on protecting and preserving healthy teeth in advance, intending to reduce the need for curative measures. It is safe to say that preventive dentistry is a combination of proactive measures for oral cavities against dental problems. The best way to access preventive dentistry in Glendale is by being a regular visitor at your dentist’s office. No wonder your dentist keeps insisting on the importance of regular dental checkups. Besides, you may never get to learn the value of dental sealant treatment is you do not gather the courage to walk into a dental facility for a random dental checkup.
What Are Dental Sealants?
They are thin plastic-like coatings that are painted in the chewing surfaces of teeth for protective measures. In Preventive Dentistry, dental sealants are the layer of protection that shields teeth from harmful bacteria and acids that corrode the enamel and form dental cavities. Safe to say, dental sealants in Dobra Dental in Glendale are preventive measures r fighting dental cavities.
A cavity is a hole that forms on the enamel of teeth when plaque and bacteria corrode and damage the tooth. The cavity is only the beginning of other oral problems, a major one being dental decay. The goal of preventive dentistry is to prevent this from ever occurring, by disallowing dental cavities from forming on teeth.
How Do Dental Sealants Work?
Sealants are a lot similar to dental fillings because they fill the surfaces of teeth. However, dental fillings are made for repairing decayed teeth. They are more a restorative treatment than a preventive one. On the other hand, dental sealants are used to prevent dental cavities from forming teeth.
Sealants work by creating a layer of protection over the chewing surfaces of your teeth. This creates a shield against plaque, bacteria, and acids that cause dental decay.
Who Needs Dental Sealants?
Protecting the back teeth from oral cavities is a need that every human being has. For many years, oral sealants have been used in pediatric dentistry to treat children’s teeth. They are very useful for children in the ages where adult molars have grown. Besides that is usually the cavity-prone age in kids, that is, 6-14 years old.
Nonetheless, adults too can benefit from dental sealants. Besides, if you can do anything to improve your oral health wouldn’t you rather do it than go at it alone?
How Are Sealants Applied?
The application of dental sealants is among the simplest procedures that exist in dentistry. The steps involved include:
- Identification of target teeth – sealants are used primarily for the back teeth. This part of the process allows the dentist to check your teeth and determine the high-risk teeth. Any signs of early stages of dental decay merit the application of dental sealants.
- Dental cleaning – the target teeth are thoroughly cleaned to remove any plaque in them. The last thing you want is for bacteria to be sealed in under the sealant material, which will only continue the decay process.
- Drying – a cotton material is placed over the cleaned teeth to dry them completely before the next step.
- Roughening – an acidic solution is used to roughen the surface of your teeth, as a preparation for the bonding of the sealant material. Afterward, your teeth are rinsed and dried properly again.
- Application of sealant – the putty-like plastic material is painted over your teeth. It immediately starts to bond with your teeth filling in the grooves and pits thereof. Usually, the dentist will apply several coats of the sealant material, to make it tamper-proof and ensure it lasts as long as it should.
How Long Do Sealants Last?
Great as dental sealants sound, they do not last forever. In Preventive dentistry, you do what you can to maintain excellent oral health as long as possible. With dental sealants, your back teeth are covered from dental cavities for between 5 and 15 years. How well you can for your teeth after sealants will determine how long they serve you.
An important thing to consider is that they are not damage-proof. With time, they will wear off, necessitating some repair jobs to cover you over the decade.