Everything You and Your Child Need to Know About Dental Sealants

Let’s get to it.

Our teeth aren’t perfect.

Not when we’re kids, and not when we’re adults. That is why, as Canadians, we spend over $13 Billion annually on dental services.

However, as many of us already know, it is a lot better to PREVENT something than to repair it all together. It is the same for your teeth as it is for your car.

For preventative measures, you might think of flossing and brushing, but there are tools your dentists have at their disposal you may not be aware of.

Dental sealants are one of these procedures we often get questioned upon we wanted to take the time to educate our clients on the wonderful benefits this simple procedure can have for you or your child.

What Are Dental Sealants?

Dental sealants are kinda what they sound like – a coating of sorts that works to keep bacteria and plaque off your teeth’s most vulnerable spots.

In use since the 1970s, dental sealants are most often resin-based or glass ionomer cement (GIC). By colour, dental sealants are too far from modern-day fillings. They can look opaque, clear, or have a slight tint depending on the compound used by your dentist.

Applied to areas where grooves may run deep or pits can occur (such as molars), dental sealants work as a protective barrier against decay. Most commonly, you will find these sealants applied to the occlusal (chewing) surface of our permanent teeth, but that does not mean you can find them in other areas of our teeth.

Luckily, as a preventative measure, dental sealants are often covered by your insurance and only take a quick sit in the dentist chair to apply. If you are unsure if you are covered, you can call us today to have one of our expert staff walk you through what options you may have.

Why Do Dentists Use Sealants?

Believe it or not, Dental Health plays a big factor in our success at work or school. An estimated 2.26 million school days and 4.15 million working days are lost annually due to dental visits or dental sick days.

Children who have tooth decay tend to have problems eating and sleeping, which interferes with attendance and performance in school. Now, we aren’t saying that dental sealants will improve career or educational outcomes, but they certainly prevent health issues that may be a distraction to life’s chores.

In fact, an Ontario report found that for resin-based sealants, only 27% of sealed surfaces were decayed versus 77% of control surfaces after 9 years after placement.

Who Should Get Sealants?

Dental sealants are most often used as a preventative measure against plaque and bacteria build up in the pits of our teeth. Many dentists recommend children to get sealants on their teeth when permanent molars start to arrive around the ages of 5-7, also known as “6-year-old Molars” and once more for their “12-year-old Molars”.

Not as common, but some dentists will recommend for children with specifically deep grooved teeth to have sealants applied before their first molars appear. Nonetheless, dental sealants have become a standard among dentists in the fight against childhood dental carries.

Overall, dental sealants are a fantastic preventative measure against decay and are easy to replace or repair when the time comes. Even adults benefit from the application of dental sealants.

Have More Questions?

It is hard to get to know everything from one blog – we get it!

But don’t let that be the issue stopping you from reaching out to us. If you still have questions on whether sealants are right for your child, or if you wanted to learn more about the procedure, feel free to make an appointment with one of our experts and they will happily introduce you to our staff, and what you and your child can expect in a visit.

Call or book your next appointment online. We look forward to seeing you and your children at one of our Treehouse offices!