Dental Sealants in Plano, TX

What are Dental Sealants?

Dental sealants at SS Dental are a quick and easy way to prevent cavities in young people. They’re well worth the time and money to ensure as few cavities in your kids’ developing years as possible. In school-aged kids and teens, most cavities are found in the grooves of the teeth further back in the mouth. These grooves are on the chewing surfaces and are particularly vulnerable to accumulations of food particles. The moist area and deep fissures prevent saliva from washing bacteria away, and thus kids are prone to cavities in those teeth.

What is the Procedure of Dental Sealant?

At our dental office in Plano, TX, the dental sealant application process is completely painless. Prior to the application of dental sealants, Dr. Z will examine your child’s teeth to ensure that there are no existing cavities or other issues. The hygienist will then clean your child’s teeth to make sure the teeth are free of food and other debris. During the application of dental sealants, Dr. Z or one of the hygienists at SS Dental will apply a preparatory gel to roughen the tooth a little to ensure a perfect bond of the dental sealant to the tooth. After the gel is rinsed off, the tooth is dried. Then one of the oral health care professionals at SS Dental will paint the chewing surfaces of your child’s back teeth with a thin layer of liquid plastic. The plastic sinks into the pits, grooves, and fissures, keeping bacteria and food particles out. It hardens within a minute when exposed to a special curing light.

Some parents have been concerned about the possible presence of bisphenol A (BPA) in sealants. The American Dental Association has done research that has shown no BPA in the blood serum of anyone treated with sealants in their study.

Sealants cannot be applied to teeth that have had any sort of prior dental work, making it critical to have dental sealants placed as soon as possible. Dental sealants reduce 80 percent of all cavities for up to two years post-application and 50 percent for up to five years. Dental sealants may last up to 10 years, but it is essential to have them checked out at each visit to SS Dental. Don’t wait to schedule your child’s dental exam, cleaning, and sealants with our dentist near you at SS Dental.