Cavities are the major dental issues in kids and the number of children suffering from cavities is only increasing. Why is it that toothpaste commercials for kids focus on preventing cavities so much? The logic is simple- advertise to solve the most popular problem to make the product popular!
While these kinds of toothpaste do reduce the risks of cavities by a fair amount, they’re surely not enough. This is where dental sealants come into play.
How do dental sealants work?
Think of them as dental fillings. Instead of filling the missing part of a tooth, dental sealants simply cover the grooves and pits in the teeth where cavities form the most. Molars and premolars are groovy and food particles tend to get stuck in there the most.
Dental sealants just cover these grooves and bond with the teeth to make the surface even. And in case you’re wondering, dental sealants do not get cavities! In fact, sealants can be rather put over cavities to prevent further damage. Since sealants are mostly clear, a dentist can even keep the cavity under check.
Are dental sealants really important for my child?
Believe this or not, your child needs dental sealants more than you think and that’s a fact. As per the ADA,
…sealants have been shown to reduce the risk of decay by nearly 80% in molars. This is especially important when it comes to your child’s dental health.
That’s not all. A study suggests that children who do not have dental sealants have a much higher risk of getting cavities than children who do have dental sealants. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
School-age children (ages 6-11) without sealants have almost 3 times more 1st molar cavities than those with sealants. Although the overall number of children with sealants has increased over time, low-income children are 20% less likely to have them and 2 times more likely to have untreated cavities than higher-income children.
Some Facts:
Now, if you’re convinced that your child does need dental sealants for healthier teeth, some useful facts about sealants would convince you a little more!
- Cavities are painful and treatments for them could be costly and even invasive. Dental sealants ensure that no bacteria can seep underneath the sealants to cause cavities, thereby ensuring strong foundations for adult teeth in the future.
- The procedure to get dental sealants is quick and painless. Thus, it is highly suited for kids who are known to have dental anxieties.
- Dentists recommend that your child should get dental sealants when they turn 6. This is to ensure that the milk teeth have grown completely and cavities can be prevented in them to lay a foundation for strong and healthy teeth in the future.
- Numerous dental insurance companies cover for dental sealants.
Now that you’ve understood the importance, choose the best pediatric dentist for dental sealants and start protecting your child’s teeth right away!
