What Are Dental Sealants?
One of the most common dangers to our teeth and overall oral health is so small it can be barely noticeable: a cavity. A cavity is a tiny hole or divot that forms in our teeth’s enamel, most likely a result of tooth decay. While they start small, cavities can lead to major concerns like infection, enamel erosion, or even tooth loss.
That’s exactly where dental sealants come into play: this specialized coating is placed over teeth, most often the back teeth. It bonds with the surface of your tooth and provides an extra layer of protection against cavities. With this one preventive procedure, smiles are protected from the most common oral health hazard!
How effective are dental sealants? The American Dental Association conducted a clinical study that discovered dental sealants can reduce the risk of tooth decay by over 50%! That means your risk of cavities is halved for four years all thanks to a service that takes less than an hour.
Who Benefits from Dental Sealants?
It is understandable that the importance of oral health isn’t quite fully grasped by children, adolescents, and teens. As these groups are statistically more likely to develop cavities, they are ideal candidates.
However, dental sealants can be considered by those interested in preventive dentistry, especially if:
- You have a history of tooth decay
- You want to drastically decrease your chances of cavities
- You still have your wisdom teeth (the final set of molars to emerge)
- You want to avoid costly restorative treatments like root canals, deep cleanings, or possible tooth replacements
If you want more information on dental sealants, contact our office.
Our Simple Dental Sealants Process
Here at Iris Dental, we work tirelessly to ensure each patient gets the dental care they deserve, without sacrificing their precious time. That’s why our dental sealants take less than an hour to apply, requiring only three easy steps:
Dental Cleaning
To make your dental sealants a successful and long-lasting treatment, we need to make sure the enamel of your teeth is ready for bonding. This is easily done with a thorough, professional teeth cleaning from our incredible team.
Sealant Application
Our dental sealants are made from a complex, compound resin that is surprisingly thin, incredibly durable, and natural looking. Once your teeth are cleaned, this resin will be applied to the teeth, focusing on the most likely spots for cavities to form (the crowns of your teeth and molars).
Bonding
With the sealant applied, it is now time to activate the bonding process and ensure long-lasting protection! This is done by using a specialized blue light treatment that hardens the resin.
In three simple steps that take less than an hour, your dental sealants are now in place. Incredible that that’s all it takes to drastically reduce your risk of cavities for up to 5 whole years!