Protect your healthy, attractive smile with dental sealants

Since childhood, you have heard that brushing and flossing your teeth is the surest way to keep cavities at bay. Although at-home dental care is effective in preventing dental cavities, your toothbrush or dental floss can’t reach all the surfaces of your mouth. Your molars have tiny pits and fissures that trap food debris, encouraging the growth of decay-causing bacteria. 

Dental sealants from A Brush Above Family Dentistry in Chicago, Illinois, are the perfect safety net to keep your decay-prone teeth clean and cavity-free. A dental sealant is a clear, thin protective film applied on the chewing surfaces of your teeth to seal out harmful bacteria. 

How are dental sealants applied?

Protecting your teeth with a dental sealant is a fast and painless procedure. No anesthesia is required, and you need no prior preparation. Below are the steps involved in applying a dental sealant to your teeth:

• Your decay-prone teeth are thoroughly cleaned 

• Your teeth are dried using an absorbent cotton-like material

• Once your teeth are clean and dry, we apply a gel on the grooves of your teeth before rinsing them out. This liquid creates a rough surface on the teeth to create a strong bond between the sealant and the teeth

• Finally, we apply the dental sealant on each tooth and harden it using a curing light

Dental sealants can protect your teeth for as many as 10 years. However, your dentist will check the condition of your sealant during routine exams and reapply if needed. 

Smiling patient sitting on dentist chair at clinic

Who can get dental sealants?

Because of the high likelihood of developing cavities and tooth decay, children and teenagers are the best candidates for fissure sealants. However, this doesn’t mean that adults can’t benefit from sealants. Since anyone is at risk of dental decay, including adults, patients of all ages should consider dental sealants.

Benefits of dental sealants

Dental sealants have been around since the 1960s and have become popular in protecting decay-prone teeth over the years. Dental sealants offer numerous benefits:

• The procedure is fast and painless

• They are virtually undetectable

• Easy to repair and maintain

• Added support for your oral care

• Prevent costly and invasive restorative dental care services

If you are at high risk of tooth decay, consider dental sealants from A Brush Above Family Dentistry.