However, there remain misconceptions and confusion about dental sealants. Among the biggest questions:. At our Denton office, we hear questions like these from patients every day.
Think of dental sealants as an umbrella. They shade teeth from all the stuff that can rain down on them, from sugar to bacteria to bits of food that get trapped in the teeth.
A dental sealant is a thin coating applied to premolars and molars. This smooth seal is applied over the deep grooves in the hewing surface of the teeth. The sealant is made of plastic or resin-based material. The dental sealants procedure is quick and painless. First, we clean off the teeth where the sealant is being applied. After the teeth have been dried off, we put a low-acidic solution on the teeth that will help the sealant bond to them.
Then comes the application of the tooth sealant. Your dentist or dental hygienist will paint a thin layer of sealant over each tooth being treated, which will bond with the tooth enamel.
We use a curing light that speeds up the drying process. It generally takes less than a minute. The sealant hardens and then forms a protective barrier between teeth and bacteria. The entire dental sealants procedure lasts just a few minutes. It takes much less time than getting a filling. There are three main reasons for this:. Dentists generally recommend sealants be applied to teeth from ages 4 to These are the years when kids are most likely to get cavities.
