The Benefits of Sealants-Not just for kids!
A bright healthy smile can help you feel and look great throughout your life. The first step in maintaining a healthy mouth is preventing tooth decay. Sealants can offer major protection against cavities.
Your teeth are covered with a sticky film of bacteria, called plaque. Plaque bacteria use sugar and starch in food as a source of energy. The bacteria convert the sugar or starch into harmful acids that attack tooth enamel for as long as 20 minutes or more. Repeated attacks may cause the enamel to break down, resulting in cavities.
How long do sealants last?
As long as the sealant remains intact, the tooth surface will be protected from decay. Sealants hold up well under the force of normal chewing and usually last several years before a reapplication is needed. During your regular dental visits, we will check the condition of the sealants and reapply them when necessary.
Sealants are just for kids, right?
The likelihood of developing pit and fissure decay begins early in life, so children and teenagers are obvious candidates, but adults can benefit from sealants as well.
What factors could make an adult a candidate for
sealants?
The best way to determine the need for sealants is to evaluate the person’s risk for pit and fissure decay, which continues throughout adulthood and varies from one person to another. Risk can also vary for the same person over time, because changes in personal habits, health status and medication use are known to increase risk for decay. Lack of access to fluorides and fluoridated water, a history of previous decay, and chronic xerostomia (dry mouth) are also factors we will consider when evaluating you for sealants.
Prevention is better than treatment! Savings in both dollars and discomfort can be gained by application of sealants, rather than allowing decay and requiring the tooth to be restored. Many private dental plans cover sealants.
To see if YOU would benefit from sealants, click here to schedule an appointment or call us at 262-369-8633.
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this is an EMERGENCY, please CALL us at 262-369-8633!
