What Are Dental Sealants and What Do They Do?

Protecting your child’s teeth is a priority, and sometimes, you could use a little help. It takes time for your children to learn how to adequately brush their teeth. It can be difficult for your little one to reach all of the surfaces of their teeth, especially as new teeth continue to pop up. Your dentist can provide you with preventive care measures to help keep your child’s teeth safe as they grow and mature. Dental sealants are one of these preventive measures. Sealants can be used to protect the surfaces of difficult-to-reach teeth from bacteria.

Dental Sealants Are Made of Biocompatible Acrylic

What does a dental sealant do for your child’s teeth? Dental sealants are made of biocompatible acrylic, which can be applied to the chewing surfaces of teeth — especially teeth that are further back in the mouth, and thus, harder to reach. After cleaning your child’s teeth, your dentist will put the sealant on selected teeth to keep bacteria from building up in these areas. Teeth with deeper chewing surfaces can hide bacteria and cause cavities. Dental sealants help to prevent this process. The sealants aren’t permanent. They last for a number of years and then will fall off. That means that this preventive measure isn’t invasive.

Protecting Your Child’s Teeth Helps Secure a Bright Dental Future

Formative childhood years are an important time to establish strong oral hygiene habits. Strong habits lead to better care in the future. However, it’s an important time for preventive care as well. If your child suffers from cavities at a young age, these can lead to more serious problems later. Bacterial buildup can cause gum disease, and any sort of serious infection in an oral tissue can potentially spread, making matters worse. Using preventive care to protect your child’s teeth now is the best way to secure a bright dental future.

Work with Your Child on Brushing Technique to Keep Teeth Clean

You also need to make sure that your child is taking all the preventive measures they can to keep their teeth clean at home. Brushing and flossing regularity and technique are vital to keeping teeth healthy. Brush away from the gums, and be sure that you reach each surface of your teeth. Dental sealants will help prevent bacteria buildup, but your child will still need to thoroughly clean these parts of their teeth and make regular dentist appointments.

Cedar Dental Provides Preventive Care for Children

The team at Cedar welcomes younger patients. Cedar provides a comfortable care environment, and plenty of preventive care options — like dental sealants — to keep children’s teeth healthy as they grow. To schedule an appointment contact Cedar Dental in Cedar Rapids, IA at 319-364-7108.