At What Age Are Dental Sealants Most Effective?

Dental sealants are thin plastic coverings that the dentist in 48864 applies on the surface of a patient’s teeth. Although dental sealants are essential in oral health, not many parents understand why your child should have dental sealants as they do not understand how dental appliance works.

This article will tell you all you need to know about dental sealants, their long-term benefits, and their suitable age.

How Dental Sealants Works?

As the name indicates, dental sealants work by providing a seal over the teeth’s surface. The dentist applies the dental appliance over the pitted and grooved areas of the molars and premolars.

The dentist often recommends applying dental sealants to patients with narrower grooves, making brushing their teeth challenging.

Moreover, if you fail to brush your teeth daily, plaque begins to form on the surface of your teeth, leading to cavities over time.

Therefore, the dentist can recommend having dental sealants to prevent bacterial infection and cavities.

After the dental sealants are applied to the teeth, it creates an extra layer of protection to the places your toothbrush bristles cannot reach.

This is because the sealants create a smooth surface, preventing food particles from getting stuck on the teeth’s grooves and pits.

Moreover, dentists recommend sealants to be applied in the early stages of teeth growth as It prevents your teeth from having food debris that causes cavities.

Long-Term Benefits of Dental Sealants

The main long-term benefit of getting dental sealants is that they protect your teeth from cavities. When the dentist applies dental sealants on the grooves of your teeth, it adds a layer to your teeth and makes it difficult for bacteria to be lodged on the surface of the teeth.

The good thing with the dental sealant application is that it is painless as it does not involve any modification to the tooth.

Premolars and molars have deep grooves, making them susceptible to collecting food particles and bacteria. These deep grooves make it challenging for your toothbrush’s bristles to reach these places.

When brushing your grooves is challenging, the food debris creates a conducive environment for bacteria growth. But with dental sealants covering your teeth’s pits and grooves, it becomes easier to brush them.

Therefore, the long-term benefit of dental sealants is helping with proper oral hygiene.

Another long-term benefit of dental sealants is that it saves you money. This is because when you get dental sealants when you’re young, it becomes difficult to get a tooth cavity as the sealants seal the places vulnerable to cavities.

This means that your teeth will be protected from cavities which can be costly to treat.

Moreover, these dental appliances can last a lifetime. However, this is only possible if you maintain proper oral hygiene. This implies that you should brush your teeth twice and floss once daily.

On top of that, it is essential that you work with a certified dentist like the ones in Okemos Smile Center, as they can look after your sealants and monitor your oral health.

At What Age Should You Have Dental Sealants?

It is essential to note that the ideal age for having dental sealants is between five and fourteen years. This is because kids do not know how to care for their teeth at a young age.

This puts them at risk of developing cavities at such a young age. When dental sealants are applied to a kid’s teeth, it becomes challenging for food debris to get stuck on the teeth’s surfaces.

You should note that the sealants are applied on the permanent teeth of kids who have already shed their temporary ones. Therefore, applying dental sealants on temporary teeth would not be useful.

Moreover, not every kid requires dental sealants. If your child has a proper oral hygiene regimen, they do not require the sealants as much as kids who do not practice proper oral habits.

Nevertheless, dentists recommend dental sealants for adults too. This is especially true for adults who do not have cavities and are looking for a way to protect their teeth from developing cavities.

If the dental sealants are accompanied by proper oral hygiene, they can protect your teeth from cavities for up to a decade.