Dental Sealants in Covina, CA

Studies show dental sealants reduce the risks of tooth cavities by as much as 80 percent. Children without dental sealants are three times more likely to develop cavities than children with sealants. It’s important to protect baby teeth, so they don’t fall out early due to cavities.

The main goal of the dental profession is to prevent tooth cavities in children and adults. Cavities are one of the primary reasons for losing teeth, altering how a person talks, eats and looks. Armed with preventive procedures like dental sealants, dentists have been winning the war against cavities, which means more people have healthy teeth.

What Are Sealants?

Dental sealants form a hard layer of protection on the teeth to prevent food particles and acids from causing tooth decay. Our dentist in Covina, CA, will cover the surface of your teeth with one of these products to prevent cavities. Although most of the patients who receive this treatment are children, adults who have a history of tooth decay will benefit from this preventive treatment.

Types Of Sealants

There is more than one type of tooth sealant available to our dentist. The available types include resin and glass ionomer sealants.

Sealants can protect teeth in two ways. One by sealing out food particles and acids that can cause tooth decay. Two, they supply teeth with fluoride protection.

The chemical makeup of sealants includes fluoride to strengthen children’s growing teeth. While resin-based sealants have low fluoride release, glass ionomer sealants have a high fluoride release. We can explain how sealants work and which may be better for you or your child’s teeth.

Our dentist uses sealants to prevent tooth decay from damaging your teeth so you or your children will have great smiles for the rest of their lives.

How Are Dental Sealants Applied?

The dentist will first examine your child’s teeth to check for pits and grooves. He will thoroughly clean the teeth, then rinse and dry them completely.

A special gel or liquid will be applied to the teeth to securely help the sealant adhere to the surface. The teeth are dried again. The dental sealant is then applied onto the surface of each tooth and left to harden. Sometimes, a special curing light may be used to harden the sealant quickly.

Adult sealants can also be placed on incipient cavities (shallow, stained grooves).

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How Long Do They Last?

The dental sealant procedure takes between 10 to 45 minutes, depending on the number of teeth requiring sealants. The sealants usually last for several years. The dentist will examine the sealants and re-apply them at each visit (especially if the sealant is chipped, broken, or worn down in places).

While sealants don’t last forever, they are known to last as long as ten years on average.

Dental Sealant Aftercare Tips

In general, you can eat and drink with no restrictions at all. In a day or two, you’ll forget you have sealants.

It will help if you practice good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing daily and eating a healthy diet. Try to avoid eating too many sugary foods, sweets, and candies. Dental sealants can help protect the teeth from infection and are considered effective preventative care.

Contact Jeffrey L. Cohen DDS in Covina, CA, for dental sealants.