Dental sealants are one of the simplest ways to protect your child’s teeth from cavities. At McNutt Pediatric Dentistry in Nashville, Tennessee, Timothy McNutt Sr., DDS, and his team use sealants as a preventive treatment against plaque and tooth decay. To keep your child’s teeth healthy and strong, call McNutt Pediatric Dentistry or schedule an appointment online today.
request an appointmentWhat are sealants?
Sealants protect your molars from plaque and tooth decay. A sealant is a resin material applied to your child’s back teeth. Once the liquid sealant hardens, plaque and bacteria can’t permeate your child’s teeth. It provides a barrier between your molars and debris.
Who needs sealants?
Sealants work best when applied to molars and premolars in children and teenagers with permanent teeth. However, baby teeth can also benefit from sealants, particularly in children who are prone to tooth decay.
Baby teeth guide your permanent teeth into the right position to maintain your bite, prevent cavities, and keep your teeth straight. If they’re lost too early due to decay, your surrounding teeth shift toward the empty space, which can cause your permanent teeth to grow in crooked.
For the best results, children should get sealants the moment their adult teeth start coming in. This can help prevent damage and decay now and in the future.
How are sealants applied?
Dr. McNutt applies sealants to protect the chewing surfaces from damage and small cracks that make molars vulnerable to plaque and bacteria. Sealants are liquid when first applied, but Dr. McNutt uses a special light to harden them.
Once Dr. McNutt cleans your child’s molars, he checks for signs of tooth decay. He then applies a cleaning gel and rinses it off to help the sealant stick to their teeth. With a small dental brush in hand, he paints the sealants onto the affected teeth and uses a curing light to harden and strengthen them. The entire treatment shouldn’t take longer than a few minutes.
How long do sealants last?
With proper care, sealants can last for years. Children’s molars are especially prone to cavities, as they may struggle to effectively brush and floss their back teeth properly. At your child’s bi-annual teeth cleanings, Dr. McNutt and his team can check to make sure their sealants are still effective. If not, he can reapply the resin solution to continue protecting your child’s teeth.
If you want to find out whether sealants are right for your child, call the experienced dental team at McNutt Pediatric Dentistry, or schedule an appointment online today.