DENTAL SEALANTS FOR CHILDREN

Growing children can be a little careless when it comes to oral hygiene. Even the best-intended kiddos can have a hard time reaching their back teeth to brush and floss well! The grooves and fissures that our posterior teeth have are used for chewing food and are great little hiding spots for food particles and bacteria. Having dental sealants placed on your child’s posterior teeth is a great extra measure to prevent decay.

It is important to instill proper oral hygiene in your children and teach them how to properly brush and floss their own teeth and make sure they know that it is crucial to brush and floss twice daily. Your child’s dentist and dental hygienist can help them with techniques and give you the tools to further their education at home. They may also advise incorporating fluoride products to further reduce decay rates.

Dental sealants are a simple procedure that does not require any anesthetic or numbing. If your child school offers a dental program, they may be able to apply sealants there! If not, when you take your child in for their regular check-up, the hygienist will clean their teeth and the dentist can apply the sealants at that visit. Sealants are a painless procedure that are simply painted on in liquid form and then cured with an ultraviolet light in order to harden the liquid into a protective plastic coating. Sealants can be applied as their adult molars and premolars erupt through the gum tissue.

While it is important that you teach your child proper oral hygiene habits, it is just as important to teach your child how their diet affects the health of their teeth. Sugary and acidic foods and beverages can eat away at healthy tooth enamel. Instilling healthy dietary and oral hygiene habits early will ensure that your child carries them into adulthood.

Dental sealants can last up to 10 years and can be easily replaced when needed. The sealants will wear away on their own and do not have to be removed by a dental professional. Your child’s dentist can help determine if dental sealants are the best type of treatment to help your child prevent decay as their teeth develop.

More about Dental Sealants : What Are Dental Sealants?