DENTAL SEALANTS
Dental sealants are a dental treatment intended to prevent tooth decay. Teeth have recesses on their biting surfaces; the back teeth have fissures and some front teeth have cingulum pits.
Are Dental Sealants Necessary?
Dental sealants are necessary for anyone trying to preserve their teeth, especially hard teeth going through constant wear and tear. Many adults and children have such deep grooves in their teeth that the bristles of the toothbrush can’t reach into them and clean out the food and plaque.
As this debris sits there, the acids and bacteria in the mouth continue to break down this food and make the enamel more porous and more likely to develop a cavity. Sealants fill in these pits and grooves so the brush can do its job more easily.
Dr. Rodwin will periodically check to make sure that the sealants are still intact and serving their purpose. Reapplying the sealants will ensure that the tooth is protected against decay, and will save the expense of having a more involved restoration on that tooth in the future should cavities develop.
How Sealants Work
Dental sealants are typically made of resin and colored to match a patient’s teeth, then applied so that it binds to the surface of the back teeth.This material fills the pits and grooves on the chewing surface to protect the teeth from further decay, as well as makes it easier to clean the teeth by eliminating cracks that plaque and other bacteria would hide in.
First, the teeth are cleaned and double-checked for debris or decay. If there is extensive decay, then any decay must be removed from the teeth, cleaned out, and either filled with the sealant or stopped with tooth filling if the pit is too deep into the enamel. When the teeth are filled and clean, a weak acid solution (etchant) roughs up the sealant, and the material adheres to the chewing surface with the help of primer and adhesive.