While cavities can form just about anywhere, they're most likely to develop on the chewing surfaces of your child’s back teeth. This is because it’s easy for food and bacteria to get trapped between the molars' deep grooves and ridges, making them tough to fully clean. Fortunately, our New London, CT, family dentists, Drs. Thomas, Janellen, and Teresa Matyas, can prevent this from happening with the help of dental sealants!
How Sealants Work
While the nooks and crannies in your child’s back teeth can certainly help them to chew food more efficiently, they can also be a hotbed for cavities since they aren’t as easy to clean as other teeth. However, during sealant treatment, our New London, CT, dentist will apply a thin plastic coating over these chewing surfaces to seal out food and bacteria and thereby reduce the risk of cavities.
With proper care and maintenance, it is possible for sealants to last up to 10 years or longer. If the sealants do become chipped or worn, our dentist can also replace it during a routine checkup. Once the sealant is placed, it provides 80 percent protection against cavities for up to two years, and 50 percent protection for the following four years.
Getting Dental Sealants
This discomfort-free procedure is often administered to children around the ages of 6 or 7, when their first set of permanent molars surface. During treatment, our dentist first cleans the patient's teeth to remove any plaque and bacteria before painting a protective plastic coating over the chewing surface of the molars. After applying the special coating, our dentist will then harden it into place using a special light—it’s that simple!
Once your child’s second set of molars comes in (usually around the age of 11 or 12) your dentist may recommend getting dental sealants to protect these teeth, as well.
Contact Us!
Are you interested in getting dental sealants for your little one? If so, call Matyas & Matyas in New London, CT, today at (860) 443-4199 to schedule their next checkup and inquire about sealants.