If you have a child, you might have already accepted that your child is going to get a cavity at some point in their life. However, there’s no reason your child should suffer through tooth decay. If you combine good oral hygiene with dental sealants at Harmony Dental Care in Oshawa, ON, you can make sure your child’s teeth are as healthy as possible.
What are dental sealants?
Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that bond with the tooth. The children’s dentist in Oshawa, ON at Harmony Dental Care will place these sealants on your child’s molars and premolars because they typically have deep grooves that trap food particles. They can be put on other teeth as well – especially baby teeth that have deeper depressions. It is very important to keep baby teeth from decaying because maintaining proper spacing in the mouth will help the permanent teeth erupt in the right places.
When can my child get a sealant?
Harmony Dental Care offers sealants to children once their premolars begin erupting. Harmony Dental Care recommends that children and teenagers have dental sealants on their teeth from the age of six to fourteen. That’s the time period when teeth are most likely to suffer from decay. Adults can get sealants too, especially those who are more susceptible to getting cavities.
Receiving Sealants
It’s very easy to get dental sealants. You or your child can get them at any routine dental checkup. The process only takes a couple of minutes per each tooth. It doesn’t even require anesthesia because it is a completely painless procedure.
The dentist at Harmony Dental Care will begin by cleaning your teeth. This is to prevent any bacteria or debris from being on the tooth underneath the sealant. The tooth is dried afterward using a special absorbent material. Once the tooth has been completely dried, the dentist will apply a tiny amount of acidic solution to the biting surface. This is to create a surface that the sealant will bond with.
Before the sealant is applied, your teeth are cleaned and dried once more. Then the sealant is painted onto the enamel where it will harden and create the protective layer. Sealants can protect your teeth for up to ten years!
