Dental sealants are a fantastic way to protect your teeth and help you keep a healthy white smile for years to come. At Making You Smile we are proud to offer dental sealants to residents of NYC and throughout New York state. If you are looking to get dental sealants for yourself or your family don’t hesitate to contact our office to set up an appointment.
A dental sealant is a thin protective coating, made of a white filling material, that is brushed onto the chewing surfaces of back teeth (molars & pre-molars). The liquid material is applied to the teeth and then using a curing light to harden the material the sealant is set. Once the dental sealant material has hardened to the teeth it will prevent food and or bacteria from sitting in the grooves of the back teeth and causing cavities.
Who is a Good Candidate for Dental Sealants?The molars of children and adolescents are the primary candidate for dental sealants. Adults can have a dental sealant applied in particularly deep fissured molars and premolars, but it is highly recommended to place sealants as soon as the first molars erupt around the age of six.
Dental sealants are recommended for adult permanent molars and premolars.
By having a dental sealant applied to your tooth it reduces the risk of cavities by not allowing food and or cavity-causing bacteria to adhere to the molars or premolars. Because these types of teeth have deep grooves and or pits in them they can be more susceptible to getting cavities.
Some people hesitate at having dental sealants applied to their teeth because they believe them to be harmful. There is a minute amount of BPA in some dental sealants but not enough to cause any harm. Here at your number one choice of dentists in New York City, Making You Smile, we use a BPA-free sealant ClinproTM.
The only other potential harm in using dental sealants is that the patient could have an allergy to the sealant, but that is extremely rare. Overall, dental sealants are very safe to use and the benefits outweigh the downside.
When it comes to your children and their oral health you want to do all you can to help prevent cavities or other dental issues down the road. We all know that children, try as they might, don’t always do the best job of brushing their teeth. That is why we, as does the CDC, recommends dental sealants for children ages 6-11, since children who do not get dental sealants are 3x more likely to end up with cavities.
Not only can dental sealants be helpful for children’s teeth, we also recommend applying them to baby teeth as well. Although baby teeth do fall out eventually if a baby tooth does get a cavity, if it is severe enough it will need to be filled, which can be a hard experience for a child.
If you are looking to have dental sealants applied to your teeth or the teeth of your children don’t hesitate to reach out to our New York City dental clinic. We would be happy to answer any questions you have or book your consultation about getting dental sealants. Contact our office today!
