More than 35% of my cases would not have visited a dentist, in case they would have taken a small step to use dental sealant. I have been advocating the use of dental sealants to almost all my clients. It is a small investment to avoid quite a lot of risk of tooth decay.
With some back teeth (molars), even after brushing and flossing, there might be areas on the chewing surface that are not accessible with a toothbrush bristle. That would in turn be an area where the grooves are deep, and plaque (containing cavity causing bacteria) can penetrate and place the tooth at the risk of cavities, finally tooth decay. Sealant which is a resin based material, can act as a protective coverage placed by a dentist to reduce the chances of getting cavities on these areas. Sealant can be applied very easily using a brush and is hardened using a special dental light. Some sealant materials release fluoride and can further prevent from cavities to form.
Children between the ages of 5 and 15 benefit most from sealants, since it is best applied soon after the molars have erupted before the teeth have a chance to decay.
Sealants lasts for years, but some additional care can help them last even longer.
About the author:
Dr. Payal Chaudhuri B.D.S., M.D.S.
The author of this article is a Registered Dental Practitioner in India.
She is also associated with a Dental College in Gurgaon, India.
E-mail: dr.payal@hotmail.com
2 comments:
A very good article and I confirm the statistics to be eye-opening. I would like to add that although it is still a possibility that decay may develop on surfaces in between teeth, sealants significantly reduce the overall chance of having cavities.
indeed sealants are wonderful preventive measures. problem lies in approaching and convincing the pts about its advantage. specially when costs are high and very often multiple teeth need to be treated the whole procedure cost increases.
meraaks@yahoo.co.in
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