Dental Sealants – Naperville, IL
Protecting Their Budding Smile from Cavities
As a parent, you don’t need us to tell you that kids don’t always have their own best interests at heart, especially when it comes to their oral health. Since they’d rather be outside playing, they don’t often brush for a full two minutes or clean all the hard-to-reach areas of their mouths. If you’re worried about your son or daughter getting cavities, we at Tic Tac Tooth have an easy solution called dental sealants. This quick and painless treatment creates a barrier over your child’s vulnerable back teeth, protecting their budding smile from cavities. If you’re ready to help your little one stay cavity-free, give us a call today to schedule an appointment.
What Are Dental Sealants?
Is your child extremely cavity-prone? Are you worried about their dental health due to their oral habits? If so, our pediatric dentists can apply dental sealants in order to protect the chewing surfaces of the molars and premolars, which are the teeth toward the back of the mouth that are most vulnerable to decay.
This thin, plastic-like coating is painted onto your child’s back teeth to form a protective barrier against harmful bacteria and plaque. These teeth have deep pits and grooves that can be hard to effectively clean when brushing and flossing, especially for little arms that might have a difficult time reaching all the way back there. As a result, food particles can get trapped in these depressions, attracting bacteria that cause cavities. Once dental sealants have been applied, these areas should remain decay-free.
How Does the Process Work?
The great thing about dental sealants is that they can easily be applied as part of your child’s routine checkup. Rest assured our skilled team will make sure your little one is comfortable in the chair before going through with the treatment.
First, we will clean the teeth onto which the sealants will be applied. After the teeth are dried, cotton is placed to keep them dry throughout the procedure. We slightly roughen up the chewing surfaces of the affected teeth to help the sealant material better adhere to the enamel. Then, we rinse and dry off the teeth, placing new cotton around them. Lastly, we paint the sealant onto the teeth, quickly hardening it into place with a curing light.
What Are the Benefits of Dental Sealants?
Some of the numerous benefits of dental sealants include:
- Added cavity protection. Sealants help prevent cavities in children who consume lots of sugar or who haven’t yet refined their oral hygiene techniques.
- Decrease bacteria. Dental sealants limit the number of bacteria in your child’s mouth, reducing their risk of oral infections.
- Encourage strong teeth. Like fluoride treatments, dental sealants promote strong, healthy teeth.
- Reduced dental costs. The more cavities your child ends up having, the more fillings you’ll have to pay for. With sealants, you’re cutting down on future dental costs for your little one.