Brushing and flossing your teeth every day is important to keeping out cavities and tooth decay. And yet, it isn’t always possible to thoroughly clean the back teeth because they are hard to reach and their uneven surfaces, with their fissures and grooves, allow bacterial plaque and food particles to collect. These molars also do the hard work of breaking down your food which means they are always exposed to oral debris. As this debris remains on the tooth, the acids can create holes in the enamel, allowing cavities to form.

Thankfully, our dentists, can provide dental sealants to protect those hard to clean molars. Dental sealants are a thin protective coating which is applied to the molar’s surface, covering the fissures and grooves.

Children especially benefit from dental sealants. Dental sealants are proven to lower the risk of tooth decay by nearly 80% in the back teeth. Children’s molars without sealant protection have approximately three times more cavities than those with sealants.

Dental sealants keep out the bits of food particles and bacterial film which create holes in teeth and cavities. Sealants are helpful for both children and adults, though the earlier they are applied, the better.

For our dentist to apply the sealant, first, the tooth is cleaned and dried. Next, an acidic gel is placed on the top surface of the tooth to “rough” it up so that the sealant can bond with the tooth. After a few minutes, the gel is rinsed off and the tooth is dried again. Then the sealant is applied to the grooves and hardened through the use of a special blue light.

Dental sealants can last several years before requiring reapplication, and our dentist checks the sealants during cleanings and checkups.

If you would like to know more about sealants or to schedule a visit with us, please call 575-532-5437 at KidsKare P.C. for a convenient location near you. We look forward to helping you with your oral care needs!