Brushing your teeth and keeping up with your oral hygiene is important, but the best way to protect kids’ teeth from getting cavities. Though they can’t prevent all cavities from forming everywhere in your child’s mouth, they still offer valuable protection for adolescents. Letting your St Lucie County dentist apply a dental sealant to your child’s permanent molars will prevent problems with cavities before they occur.
Many children simply don’t brush their teeth regularly despite many consumer products to entice and encourage them to maintain their oral hygiene. Dental sealants can ensure the teeth stay intact. Children without sealants have almost three times more cavities than children with sealants. They protect against 50% of cavities for up to four years and can be retained in the mouth for up to nine years.
Sealant application is painless, and it is the most conservative non-invasive treatment in dentistry. The procedure can cost $30 to $60 per tooth. Dental sealants are safe and effective for over 40 years. Cavities can cause pain, abnormalities that affect hoe the top and bottom teeth meet, swelling, and serious infection that could result in a child being absent from school. The sealant will prevent cavity-causing bacteria from nesting into the crevices and grooves of your child’s teeth, protecting them from more complications from taking place.
All people regardless of age can benefit from dental sealants. As we age, we are more susceptible to developing cavities and our exposure to decay increases. Adults are also candidates for this treatment, but if you already have a restoration or dental implant, then the tooth will not benefit from a sealant.
If you want to protect your child’s permanent teeth from damage caused by cavities, get in touch with our St Lucie County dentist at Smooth Sailing Dental to learn more about the procedure. Contact us to schedule an appointment with us today!