Dental Sealants in Aurora, CO

What Are Dental Sealants?

Dental sealants are a method of tooth protection available to patients of all ages but most useful early in life, right about the time that children’s molars start to come in. This simple preventative treatment is quick and painless and has been shown to reduce the chance of tooth decay by over 70 percent.

Why Do Children Need Sealants?

Generally speaking, effective tooth brushing and flossing are enough to keep teeth clear of small bits of debris, but it can be a little tougher when it comes to the rough, pitted back teeth most often used for chewing. The surfaces of these teeth are more likely to collect debris that can’t easily be dislodged by a toothbrush’s bristles.

Sealants work by creating an artificial barrier of plastic resin on top of a tooth. The barrier seals closely enough to the tooth to bond into any grooves and fissures, thereby keeping plaque, acids, and tiny bits of food from getting stuck in the tooth’s small crevices. This, in turn, decreases the chances of tooth decay.

Fortunately, this is a painless process that doesn’t usually require numbing or sedation, as the enamel of a tooth doesn’t have any nerves in it. The sealant process generally involves cleaning any existing debris from a tooth, drying the tooth, and then applying a solution that primes it for the sealant. Once the solution has done its work, the actual application of the sealant itself takes only a few minutes.

If you’re trying to come up with an analogy to explain the process to an anxious child, you might say the whole process is something like putting a raincoat on a tooth — it helps keep the tooth safe from its environment. Schedule an appointment with our general dentist for children today to learn more about dental sealants in Aurora.