Are Dental Sealants Effective in Preventing Tooth Cavities in Kids?

Are Dental Sealants Effective in Preventing Tooth Cavities in Kids?

December 2, 2021

Did you know that over three hundred thousand American children get dental cavities every year? Cavities are the most common kind of severe medical condition found in children.

Cavities cause a lot of pain, and they happen when sugary foods are left in the mouth for a long time. Bacteria will break down these foods, and the acids from the food will seep into the teeth, thereby causing a cavity. Children who are just beginning to grow their first set of teeth can have holes, and this disease can threaten the health of your child.

Like any other concerned parent or guardian, you must be bothered about how to protect your child from the shackles of a dental cavity. You dread the numerous consequences of this disease, and you are looking for ways to safeguard your child’s teeth. Dental sealants for kids are the perfect solution for you.

What Are Dental Sealants?

Dental sealants are used to coat the teeth and protect them from decay. The coating is very tiny and is usually applied through a white liquid with a small brush. Blue LED light is used to dry the sealant and make it bond with the teeth.

Dental sealants are safe to use. The liquid bonds at the top of the teeth and does not get inside, unlike a dental filling. The application process is non-invasive, painless, and does not require the use of anesthesia. If you want cavity prevention for your kid, book an appointment with a children’s dentist in Greeley or and another experienced children’s dentist around you.

Since dental cavities are caused by sugary foods being left in the mouth for a long time, one would think that regular brushing, flossing, and antimicrobial mouthwash will help. However, there is only a limit to what toothbrushes can remove from the teeth, which is why dental sealants are vital if you want to protect your child from a dental cavity.

What are the Benefits of Dental Sealants?

The core benefit of dental sealants is that they prevent tooth decay and dental cavity. Children with tooth decay suffer severe pain, headache, and sleepless nights. Tooth decay can also affect your child’s diet because it becomes hard to eat a particular food. The child has to avoid certain food, and sometimes, it might affect the child’s speech. It becomes gorier when the tooth decay begins to disfigure the child’s face. All of these could be avoided by applying dental sealants to the teeth.

Prevention of tooth decay is not the only benefit of dental sealants. The sealants help to ensure the overall health of your child.  Also, it saves you the cost of treating tooth decay or, even worse, dental cavities. In a study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, it was noted that dental sealants could help to save the dental cost of up to $300 million. According to this same study, children who use dental sealants are three times less likely to have tooth decay than children without dental sealants.

Poor oral health can affect your child’s performance at school. Tooth decay can cause a lack of concentration and distraction when your child is in school. That means that dental sealants can help to ensure your child’s progress and overall success in school.

Are Dental Sealants Effective?

The American Dental Association confirms that dental sealants can reduce your child’s chances of getting a cavity by up to 80%. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention also states that dental sealants reduce the chances of getting a dental hole by up to 80% in the first two years after they are applied and up to 50% in the next two years that follow.

Results from parents whose children have dental sealants on their teeth also prove that this coating effectively prevents tooth decay. Furthermore, the process of getting sealants is covered by many insurance providers. So as soon as your children begin to have their first set of molars, ensure that you take them to get dental sealants. Do this again when their second set of molars start sprouting, and you can save your child from tooth decay and save yourself from avoidable dental costs.

Our pediatric dentistry office in Greeley, CO proudly serves the infants, kids, and teens from our community and nearby areas

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