Has your child gotten their first permanent back molars? Has Dr. Neal Smith recommended dental sealants for your child? Here are the basics of what you need to know to consider this investment:
First of all, what are they? Dental sealants are clear, protective shields that will stick to the grinding tops of your child’s molars, keeping food crumbs, acid and bacteria from penetrating tooth enamel and causing decay and cavity formation.
How smart an investment is this? In a word: extremely. Dental sealants have been found to lessen the hazard of molar decay by almost 80%. This is the most often the case when it comes to children, as they tend to be more vulnerable to sugar, which can be a major culprit for tooth decay. Just last year, the Centers for Disease Control released a report stating that “school-age children without sealants have almost three times more cavities than children with sealants.”
Here is the procedure for a dental sealant treatment: we will clean and dry your or your child’s teeth. Then Dr. Neal Smith will apply an acidic gel, which slightly abrades your teeth so that the sealant will cling to the tooth more durably. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Neal Smith will spread the sealant onto the chewing surfaces of your child’s molars. Then he will use a special blue light to harden this protective coating. Throughout the procedure, your child may feel slight discomfort, but no pain.
Have you decided to invest? Call us at Central Washington Pediatric Dentistry in Yakima, Washington at 509-248-2973. We’re here to protect your child’s smile.
