Dentist:Sealant On Teeth

My younger daughter has them. I couldn't afford them for my older daughters and they got cavities in their back teeth. I watch them put them on my daughter's teeth. They paint the sealant on and put some type of light on it. There's no pain and it protects the teeth from cavities. You do have to be careful when eating candy or sticky food. They can come off and you need to put them back on.

Both of my grown children had sealants when they were small and they were wonderful! Completely protected their teeth from cavities. As I recall, they are just painted on and are no stress whatever to the child. Our youngest will get them when his permanent teeth come in. Our Dental insurance paid for them up to a certain age.

I remember getting sealant put on my teeth when I was younger. I'm now 28 and have kids of my own. Basically the procedure includes the tech or dentist brushing on a substance and then a heater is used to bond it to the teeth. When I say heater, its the same thing that is used when they do fillings. It didn't hurt, but if your child moves their tongue then the sealant doesn't taste very good. The procedure sounds a lot worse than it is. I hope I helped in some way and good luck.

It's simple to do. It will help prevent decay through the young years. You will be glad you did.

My son had this done and there was nothing to it. Just done as part of a regular dental visit. It is supposed to help prevent cavities especially if the child is prone to cavities. It must work because all my son's cavities are the the other surfaces!(the ones they can't put sealant on!)

My son has had sealants put on his teeth - it's a pretty easy process - they use a little brush and brush it on the teeth - it's painless and very easy! Much better than having to deal with cavities later! :)

As soon as my now-six-year-old was able to get sealants, we had them done. Unlike the ones that were done a generation ago, she can't even feel that they're there.

Hi Kathy,

I'm a dental hygienist. Getting sealants on your 6 yr old is the smartest thing you can do to prevent future cavities!! The reason we do them is to protect them from getting future cavities on them. Paying for a filling is far more expensive than getting sealants! Sealants last a lifetime and usually at the check-ups we check to make sure their still intact. If there not intact, then we just adjust them accordingly. Also try using some home fluoride once daily. Try ACT rinse...its a home fluoride you can get at any store. Let your 6 yr old pick the flavor. I tell my patients to use it @ bedtime so the rinse stays in their mouth all night while they're sleeping and plus you can't eat or drink 30 mins after it.

Hope this info. helped you!
~Y.

Yes, my two older children had sealants on their 1st molars. It is very easy. They will clean the tooth apply a liquid and shine a light to set it up. They put a coating in the pits of the teeth.

all it is , is like the varnish you put on an furniture. It takes maybe 20 mins for all of them. Afterwards he won't be able to eat hard or chewy things (like a lollipop or taffy)
So if your little man eats those things it will help make his diet a little better.

They only apply it to the adult teeth. My six year old had one molar done and he said they painted it on and it tated a little bad. It took a few min for a tooth. He couldn't eat or drink for at least 30 min after then he was fine. The sealent protects him perminant teeth from cavities. Thanks for telling me no taffy or hard candy, Doc didn't mention that.

J.

It's very simple. Its kind of a protective seal on the molar to protect it. Think of it as a "top coat" after your have done your nails.

Good Luck!

Kathy,

I have worked in a dental office, as a dental assistant for 11 years. A sealant is simply a preventive treatment to seal the deep grooves often found in molars,to prevent cavities from occurring. It is a very simple treatment that involves: 1. Cleaning the teeth with toothpaste or pumice (a gritty toothpaste). 2. The dentist or hygenist will then isolate the tooth they are working on by placing a cotton roll (small piece of cotton) beside the cheek and possibly tongue to keep it dry from saliva. 3. An acid etch is applied to the tooth to roughen the surface, so the sealant will stick. ( it tastes bitter if swallowed, but is harmless) 4. Working quickly the dentist then applies the sealant material, usually with a little "paintbrush" 5. Then a bright light called a curing light is applied (we usually tell kids it's a space light) to harden the sealant material. 6. After all sealants are placed the dentist will have your child bite on a blue piece of paper to check to see if the sealant is high ( if your child is biting the sealant before his/her natural teeth ) If the sealant is high the dentist will adjust or polish the sealant. (usually done with a highspeed drill. It only takes a few seconds, and because it is polishing the sealant,not the tooth it does not hurt at all)
So there you have it, that is what is involved in a sealant. There is no need for freezing or needles of any sort. The biggest challenge for kids is that they are often nervous because they do not know what to expect. Ask your dentist to show your child what they are going to do before they start the procedure. If you are nervous or scared do not let your child know, because your child will adopt your fears!!! Stay positive and reassure your child that this is a quick and simple procedure that will help them to keep their teeth healthy and cavity free!!!
Hope this information was helpful
K. King,PDA level 2

Yes... it's actually quite common. It helps smooth out the back teeth so that there are less "ridges" which creates less of a chance for cavities. My oldest son has had it done. No pain involved... basically they just paint it on.