Tag: Dental sealants

Dental Sealants: What to Expect During the Procedure?

Posted on by westerndental

A preventive dental procedure called dental sealant can help in preventing tooth decay. Although this treatment is usually advised for children, it can also benefit adults. Western Piedmont Dental provides complete dental care including dental sealants in Rutherford College.

It’s normal to be curious about what to expect during the procedure if you’re considering getting dental sealants. In this blog, we’ll examine dental sealants in more detail, along with what to expect from the procedure.

What Are Dental Sealants?

Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that are placed on the chewing surfaces of back teeth (molars and premolars). Deep grooves and cracks on these surfaces can be challenging to clean by brushing and flossing. In these grooves, germs can build up over time and lead to decay.

Over these grooves, sealants produce a smooth surface that facilitates cleaning and inhibits the growth of bacteria. Although adults can also benefit from sealants, they are primarily used on children’s and adolescents’ permanent molars.

What to Expect During the Dental Sealants Procedure?

Dental sealants can be applied quickly and painlessly. The procedure includes the following steps:

 

  1. The teeth will be properly cleaned to get rid of any food particles, plaque, or dirt before the sealant is put in.

 

  1. After being thoroughly cleaned, the teeth are dried with the use of an air compressor or cotton rollers. Due to the necessity for the sealant to effectively adhere to the tooth surface, this step is crucial.

 

  1. The dentist will treat the tooth’s surface with an acidic solution. By roughening the tooth’s surface, this solution improves the sealant’s bonding.

 

  1. The tooth will be cleaned and dried once more after the acid etching.

 

  1. The tooth surface is then covered with the sealant. Usually, it is applied as a liquid and then hardened with a specific light. The dentist will make sure that all of the fissures and grooves on the tooth surface are covered with a sealant.

 

  1. The dentist will examine your bite after the sealant has dried to make sure it is not overly thick.

 

The whole process usually takes a few minutes per tooth only. Anesthesia is not required, and many patients don’t feel any pain.

What to Do After the Dental Sealants Procedure?

You can continue your regular activities right away after getting dental sealants. However, there are a few things to keep in mind after the procedure:

  1. After having the sealants, wait a few hours before chewing anything tough or sticky.
  2. To maintain good dental hygiene, be sure to brush and floss frequently.
  3. Keep up with regular visits to the dentist to make sure the sealants are still protecting your teeth.

With the proper maintenance, dental sealants can last up to ten years. At each dental checkup, the dentist will examine the sealants, and replace them, if required.

Conclusion

Using dental sealants to prevent tooth decay is a quick and easy solution. There is no recovery period after the procedure and it is rapid and painless. Ask your dentist if dental sealants are a good option for you or your child if you’re thinking about getting them. Dental sealants can help keep your teeth healthy and cavity-free for many years with the right care.

If you’re looking for dental sealants in Rutherford College, get in touch with Western Piedmont Dental now.

Debunked Misconceptions about Dental Sealants

Posted on by westerndental

Several pieces of evidence show dental sealants are effective in preventing and stopping non-cavitated pit-and-fissure carious lesions. And it’s not something new in the dental industry. But, still, this simple treatment is widely underused. People, especially parents, are not ready for dental sealants. And it’s all because of a few misconceptions prevailing in the dental industry.

In this post, we will discuss the misconceptions that stand in the way of this quick, safe, effective minimally-invasive treatment and a lot of healthy smiles.

Misconception 1: Dental Sealants leak 

The leakage of dental sealants depends on how properly the technique is used. If there are no voids after curing, the dental sealants will never leak.

Sealants don’t leak but they require a bit of maintenance, including touch-ups now and then. It’s because they go through a lot of normal wear and tear because of their placement on the most hardworking teeth in the mouth. If you give them periodic touch-ups, they will not leak and stay in perfect shape forever.

Misconceptions 2: Teeth underneath sealants decay 

Actually, dental sealants prevent tooth decay. So no way, they can impact teeth negatively. When bacteria accumulate on teeth, they get easily removed from smooth surfaces with regular brushing. But, unfortunately, they tend to stick around in difficult-to-clean areas such as grooves, pits, and fissures.

When dental sealants seal these nooks and crannies, bacteria and food debris are unable to get in. This makes the smooth surface easier to clean and maintain. The tooth underneath dental sealants will decay only if they are not placed properly. So, make sure you work with an experienced dentist for dental sealants in Valdese.

Misconceptions 3: Dental sealants on decay teeth lead to cavities

Bacteria need fuel to survive and thrive that they get from food and drinks you consume. Due to dental sealants, the bacteria are unable to access this fuel and their growth process gets halted.

If there is no access to food, the bacteria will not grow. And when the bacteria will not grow, there will be no cavity. So, even if dental sealants are placed on a decayed tooth, it will not get cavitated.

Misconception 4: Dental sealants don’t last for long 

The lifespan of dental sealants depends on how correctly they are placed. It’s said that if everything is fine, the dental sealants can last up to 5-10 years. But, the thing is sealants should be maintained properly because they go through a great deal of wear and tear than other teeth. Sometimes, they get chipped or fall off.

Fortunately, you can repair or replace dental sealants and use them like always. It’s good to make sealants check a regular part of your routine dental appointments.

Misconception 5: Dental sealants are difficult to apply

As dental sealants are hard, people think they are time-consuming and difficult to apply. But actually, applying dental sealants is a very simple process and takes only a few minutes. The only thing that makes a difference is the material of the dental sealants.

With fewer occlusal adjustments, dental sealants get easily placed on the most hard working teeth of your mouth.

Forget the misconceptions and schedule an appointment for the dental sealants in Valdese today.

How are dental sealants applied over teeth?

Posted on by westerndental

Dental sealants are basically a thin coating applied over the molar and premolars on the chewing surface to seal the narrow grooves on them.

Sealants can significantly prevent tooth decay while shielding the sensitive tooth surface from the attack of cavity-causing acids and other such components if placed precisely over the deep grooves of your tooth.

Generally, sealants are applied to the enamel of the permanent tooth of an adult rather than the baby teeth.

The work of dental sealants is similar to the work of general sealants put over a crack over any surface. It seals the deep grooves on the top surface of the molar and premolars to ensure that there is no space for food particles to gather and cause cavities over time.

You can take the help of any dental professional like your dentist or dental hygienist to get dental sealants in Valdese. You must only rely on professionals for the service and check the regularities of state to check who is eligible to place dental sealants, how and under what conditions.

A professional dental expert will conduct the procedure in their dental office under proper hygienic conditions with the proper equipment and expert techniques. Let’s now discuss the application of sealants on teeth.

Application of dental sealants

Application of Dental sealants is not an invasive process and seems quite simple as follows:

  • The very first step in the process is to remove any residue from the teeth. There could be plaque or food particles over the teeth’ surface. After the cleaning, the teeth are examined for any decay.
  • Each and every tooth is dried up individually and wrapped with a material that can absorb the moisture and keep the tooth dry throughout the process.
  • Then, a mild etchant is used to clean the surface of the tooth to make it slightly rough. This is important to aid the bonding of the sealant material.
  • The applied mild etchant solution is rinsed off to dry up the tooth once again.
  • Firstly, a light coating of bonding agent is put over the tooth surface before the application of the sealant material. The bonding agent might vary on the basis of the material used.
  • Now, the sealant material is put directly over the chewing surface of every tooth.
  • Lastly, curing light is used to dry up and harden the sealant.

It is important to note that there must not be any residues present over the tooth to hinder the bond. Hence, the tooth must be well isolated and properly dried up. Before the application of sealant, ozone gas might also be used to eliminate the presence of bacteria in the mouth and around the tooth.

In the case of the presence of a small cavity, the infection must be first removed before the application of sealant with the help of a drill or dental laser.

Do you also wish to keep your teeth protected against cavities? Contact a reputable dental professional in the town and get your dental sealants.

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