sealants

How Sealants Can Help Your Oral Hygiene

Dental cleanings and regular checkups, combined with proper brushing and flossing at home, are great preventive measures for ensuring the strength of your teeth. However, if you do not clean your teeth adequately, decay can attack your tooth enamel. For a shield against bacteria and decay in hard-to-reach places, we recommend sealants.

Protecting Teeth in the Early Stages

Children who are still working on developing good oral hygiene habits may miss some back teeth, or molars, that require extra attention. Because molars are the main teeth used for chewing and include more crevices than other teeth, they are the most susceptible to decay. Back teeth are consequently the best candidates for sealants.

What is a sealant?

Sealants are a thin, clear, plastic material that seals the tooth from bacteria by smoothing over the crevices of molars and preventing food debris from lodging into the tooth. Because sealants cover the entire tooth seamlessly, they not only block bacteria but can also hold in bacteria. Since sealed-off bacteria cannot be treated, sealants can only be placed on teeth without any decay present.

 

At Dentistry on Broadway, a dental hygienist certified in sealant application will inspect the tooth for any decay, also called caries, using digital radiography. If there are no signs of caries, the hygienist can paint the sealant on within a couple of minutes during your dental cleaning appointment.

Sealants: Not Just for Children

While children are great candidates for sealant application, adults can also benefit from sealants. If you have a tendency toward developing tooth decay or a reduced ability to clean your own teeth, consider sealants as an option for guarding your teeth against bacteria. Patients undergoing orthodontic treatments, such as braces, can have peace of mind knowing that, even when brushing and flossing is difficult, sealants can pick up the slack.

 

Protecting your teeth against decay requires early action. If you think you are a candidate for sealants, schedule a dental cleaning with Dr. Antonio Oliviero soon.