Many children don’t like to brush their teeth, which leaves them vulnerable to tooth decay. Fortunately, our family dentists in Salem, MA at Mass Bay Dental can help your little ones prevent tooth decay by applying dental sealants to their teeth. Sealants help protect teeth while also keeping them strong.
How Do Dentists Apply Sealants?
The solution that seals teeth is a resin that starts out in a liquid form that a dentist brushes onto your child’s teeth. Then, he or she uses ultraviolet light, sometimes referred to as blue light, to dry and harden the resin to seal out decay-causing bacteria, food particles and the sticky sugars from sweet drinks.
The sealants go on the chewing surfaces of teeth, especially the back teeth because they can be difficult to clean. Studies show that most sealants can last up to 10 years to keep teeth disease-free. Sealants can tear or wear out but it is easy to repair.
If our tooth sealants dentist finds holes in your sealant at Mass Bay Dental near you in Salem, MA, it is easy to repair. All our dentist needs to do is brush more solution over the damaged sealant to fix it. Along with protecting teeth, sealants also fortify them with fluoride to keep teeth strong.
When Can Children Get Sealants?
Our dentists recommend that children get dental sealants between the ages of five to 14 years old. They can have sealants placed on their first set of permanent molars between the ages of five and seven years of age and then their second permanent molars when they come in between the ages of nine and 12 years old.
Sealants are especially important for molars and premolars because the cusps of the crowns have many crevices in which food can stick. If the teeth are not brushed well, trapped food particles can break down and lead to bacteria that cause cavities.
Our dentists at Mass Bay Dental will also use sealants on adult teeth as long as their teeth are healthy and do not have signs of decay on them. If you’re interested in getting dental sealants for your or your children’s teeth, contact our dental offices in Salem, MA.
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