Dr. Phan of Shreveport Bossier Kids Talks About Dental Sealants

If you look at your back teeth, you will notice lots of little grooves on the biting surfaces of those molars. Even the smallest toothbrush bristles can’t get into the microscopic groove to clean, so those crevices are where the majority of cavities form on your permanent teeth. To prevent cavities on these molars, dentists have developed a special treatment to seal the grooves and prevent cavities. Thus the name “sealants”! Sealants prevent food and bacteria from sticking on the back teeth.

The first set of permanent molar usually erupt around age 6 and the second set erupt around age 12. We recommend sealants on these molars as soon as they are completely in the mouth. Applying sealants is quick and painless, usually requiring only about 10-15 minutes, and typically requires no numbing. The final product is white and barely noticeable. All the sealant material used at Shreveport Bossier Family Dental Care for Kids are also both BPA- and gluten-free.

Once sealants are placed, you can eat and drink immediately, but we recommend avoiding sticky and gummy foods for the day in order to help the sealant stick to the teeth. Your bite may feel funny or different after sealant application, but the teeth will quickly adjust over the next couple days. It is possible for sealants to wear down over time, so we will monitor your sealants at every recall visit to ensure that they are fully intact and protecting your teeth.

If you are interested in this service or would like more information, please contact our office. We look forward to seeing you!