Perhaps you’ve heard about dental sealants from your Milton, MA dentists Drs. John and Patrick Murphy but you’re not exactly sure what they are or how they could improve your oral health. Find out more about this wonderful preventive dentistry.
What are dental sealants?
These thin, plastic tooth-colored coatings are painted on the chewing surfaces of your back teeth (molars and premolars) to protect susceptible areas from dental decay. The sealant quickly and painlessly attaches to those pits and grooves in the tooth to provide an added layer of protection for healthy tooth enamel.
You might be wondering to yourself, “If I brush and floss do I need dental sealants?” After all, if you maintain good oral hygiene every day you may not think you need dental sealants. However, even while we can easily brush away food particles and plaque there are those little-hidden nooks that can be difficult for your brush to reach. These areas, particularly the back teeth, are susceptible to decay. By choosing dental sealants, you can protect your smile.
Who should consider getting dental sealants?
Children and teenagers are often the most common candidates for dental sealants because sealants offer a preventative way to ward off decay. But this doesn’t mean that adults can’t also get sealants. In fact, if you don’t have a filling or aren’t currently dealing with decay you too could benefit from this dental procedure.
Once those permanent molars and premolars come in (between the ages of 6 to 14) you will want to schedule an appointment with your Milton, MA family dentist to have sealants placed on your child or teen’s teeth. The sooner you can start protecting those at-risk teeth the better.
What should I expect when I get sealants in Milton, MA?
Getting sealants is a quick and painless process. Once we have thoroughly cleaned your teeth we will apply an acid solution onto the chewing surfaces. This solution is designed to rough up the tooth to help facilitate sealant bonding. Then your Milton, MA dentist will paint the sealant onto the tooth. While in some cases a special light can be used to harden a sealant many times the sealants naturally bonds and hardens to the tooth.
While dental sealants can last several years it’s important that you continue to properly care for your smile and also see us every six months for routine care. Only during these visits can we detect if the sealant is damaged or needs to be replaced. If it’s time your child got sealants, or if you need to schedule an upcoming visit, call the Murphy Dental Group today!