It’s Better to Seal Your Child’s Teeth Than Fill Them!
You can optimize your child’s oral health with a combination of home care, nutrition and twice-yearly visits to our Lower Manhattan pediatric dental office for check-ups and treatments. Our commitment to the latest in dental technology and techniques will go a long way to prevent cavities and to repair damage from dental decay or injury but, what’s even better than fixing problems? Preventing them! Dental sealants are an excellent preventive option for kids!
How Do Dental Sealants Work?
Typically, molars are the most difficult spots for kids to effectively brush and floss. For that reason, they are the most likely to develop dental cavities. Hence, the popularity of dental sealants on permanent molars. Sealants are also applied judiciously to baby teeth that might be in particular danger of developing cavities.
Requiring only a few minutes per tooth, sealants can be applied at any routine dental appointment. After your child’s teeth have been cleaned by the dental hygienist, an acidic material that allows the sealant to adhere to the teeth is briefly applied to the surface of the teeth and then washed off. A white resin is applied to the “bumpy” surface of the back teeth to fill up the crooks and crannies in the teeth where, historically, cavities easily form. A special light is then used to harden the resin. It may sound a bit complicated but sealant application takes only a few minutes.
When Should My Pediatric Dentist Apply Sealants to My Child’s Teeth?
Most children begin to see the eruption of permanent molars around 6 years of age, making that an ideal time to apply sealants. Second molars erupt around the age of 12 and should receive sealant protection at that time, as well. You don’t have to worry about making sure sealants are placed at the right time, as your NYC pediatric dentist will check your child’s teeth at every visit to evaluate the need for sealants.
When Did We Last See Your Child?
If we haven’t seen your child(ren) within the past six months, call us today at 212-267-0029 to schedule an appointment! Regular dental checkups are the very best way to assure your child of a lifetime of beautiful, healthy smiles!