Dental Sealants
Ortega Dentist
 Dental sealants are customized protective coatings that protect the chewing surfaces of your teeth from bacteria. We recommend these tools as preventive dental options to ensure your teeth are always healthy. At Ortega Dental, we conduct dental sealant applications more professionally as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
What Are Dental Sealants?
Sealants are like thin, invisible liquid coatings painted on your back teeth, the ones you use for chewing. Our dentist puts them on and then makes the coating hard, creating a protective barrier. It is like giving your teeth a superpower to keep away the bad bacteria that cause cavities.
There are different materials that we can use at Ortega Dental to engineer the sealants, such as resins or glass ionomers. Each material has its advantages and drawbacks, and we will discuss with you the best to suit your needs.
Purposes of Dental Sealants
We apply sealants to safeguard your teeth from harmful bacteria that can lead to dental issues. The back teeth have deep grooves, aiding in the chewing process. However, these grooves can become a hiding spot for food particles and bacteria, potentially causing tooth decay over time. Sealants act as a protective coating, ensuring these areas remain shielded from harmful bacteria. It is a bit like providing your teeth with a guard to keep potential threats at bay.
Dental Sealants Application Process
Cleaning and Drying your Teeth
The initial move our dentist makes involves a thorough cleaning of each tooth before dental sealant application. This is not just a routine cleaning; it is a preventive measure to prevent any potential complications and enhance the effectiveness of the sealants. Following the cleaning session, each tooth must be dried. To maintain this dry environment, we place cotton or a similar absorbent material around each tooth.
Application of an Acidic Solution
Moving on in the dental sealant journey, the next step involves applying a gentle acidic solution. This solution helps the sealant coating to form a strong bond with the chewing surfaces of molars and premolars. No need to worry about discomfort, as it is a painless process. This solution does not leave any mark on the dental enamel, ensuring your tooth maintains its natural look even after the sealant decides to wear away, which is usually after five to 10 years.
Rinsing and Drying of the Teeth
After that, the tooth undergoes another thorough rinse and drying process, ensuring it is impeccably clean and ready for the application of dental sealant. Thanks to non-invasive dental devices, this step takes just a few minutes.
Painting of the Sealant on the Enamel
After making sure the tooth is super clean, dry, and a bit roughed up, our dentist paints on the sealant like an invisible shield. It is a super-thin layer that adds protection to the tooth without changing how it looks. There is no need to worry because it does not hurt at all and only takes a few short minutes to complete.
Hardening of the Dental Sealant
The final touch is using a curing light to harden the dental sealants. This makes them strong and long-lasting, lowering the chance of any early issues that need a re-application. The curing light is safe and gentle, ensuring a solid finish without any invasive procedures.
Benefits of Dental Sealants
Dental sealants have been used safely for decades. They are considered one of the best prevention methods for safeguarding teeth from cavities. Here are several more benefits of dental sealants.
Ideal for All Ages
Contrary to common belief, sealants are not just for kids, according to the CDC. Yes, they are often associated with children, but the benefits extend to everyone. Even the permanent teeth of older folks have these tiny grooves that could use some extra protection against bacteria.
Safeguard Your Teeth From Cavities
Dental sealants work as a shield for your teeth against cavities. They involve placing a tooth-colored plastic coating on the top of the molars. This extra layer makes it tough for bacteria to stick to the tooth surface, providing an added defense against cavities.
Minimize Deep Grooves
Molars boast deep grooves and depressions on their surfaces, posing a challenge for thorough cleaning. Despite your best brushing efforts, toothbrush bristles can only navigate some of these intricate spaces on the chewing surfaces. These hard-to-reach spots become hotspots for plaque and food particles to gather, creating a welcoming environment for bacteria. Over time, these deep grooves may pave the way for dental decay. Dental sealants step in to stop decay in their tracks by smoothing out these tricky grooves, creating a protective barrier that keeps your molars safe from potential trouble.
The Process of Installation Is Painless and Quick
Applying dental sealants is a straightforward process. First, the teeth get a good cleaning to prep them. A gentle solution is used to roughen the tooth surfaces slightly. This helps the sealant material stick properly. Once the tooth is ready, the acrylic sealant is carefully applied. It can flow into the nooks and crannies of the tooth, filling them up. After letting it harden for 1-2 minutes, the tooth gets sealed and shielded from bacteria hanging out in those pits and grooves.
Durable Solutions
Shielding teeth with sealants in childhood is like giving them long-lasting protection during the years when cavities are most likely to strike. With proper care, these superhero sealants can stick around for many years. Keeping up with good oral hygiene and steering clear of chewing on hard objects helps them last even longer. At Ortega Dental, we recommend regular check-ups to inspect the sealants and suggest re-application or fixes when needed.
Cost Saving Solutions
Not only are sealants a quick and painless way to shield the teeth, but they are also a wallet-friendly option compared to dental restorations. Many dental insurance plans cover sealants as part of their general policies, making them a cost-effective choice. By preventing the need for pricey and uncomfortable cavity treatments, dental sealants emerge as the smart and preventative choice for children.
Dental sealants are beneficial for everyone, including children with their baby teeth intact. If you are considering dental sealants to shield molars and premolars from acid-induced cavities, why not schedule a visit with our dental team at Ortega Dental? We are here to tailor a unique plan that ensures your smile stays bright and cavity-free! You can contact us at 904-752-9522 for the application of sealants or any other dental services. |
