What Are Dental Sealants and How Do They Work?
Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings applied to the grooves on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, providing protection against tooth decay.
Are Dental Sealants Just For Children?
No, they are even done on young adults aged 13-18. However, adults can benefit from sealants too.
Dental sealants, also known as fissure sealants, are used to fill cavities and reduce tooth decay. Sealants are usually placed on the top of molar and pre-molar teeth surfaces since the natural shape of these types of teeth are more susceptible to plaque build up.
Permanent molars are the most likely to benefit from sealants. The first molars usually come into the mouth when a child is about 6 years old. Second molars appear at about age 12. It is best if the sealant is applied soon after the teeth have erupted, before they have a chance to decay.
Applying sealants does not require drilling or removing tooth structure. The process is short and easy. After the tooth is cleaned, a special gel is placed on the chewing surface for a few seconds. The tooth is then washed off and dried. Then the sealant is painted on the tooth. The dentist or dental hygienist also may shine a light on the tooth to help harden the sealant. It takes about a minute for the sealant to form a protective shield.
Sealants can only be seen up close. Sealants can be clear, white, or slightly tinted, and usually are not seen when a child talks or smiles.
As with anything new that is placed in the mouth, a child may feel the sealant with the tongue. Sealants, however, are very thin and only fill the pits and grooves of molar teeth.
A sealant can last for as long as 5 to 10 years. Sealants should be checked at each regular dental appointment and can be reapplied if they are no longer in place.
What are dental sealants?
Sealants are basically used because each tooth has fissures—hills, valleys, and small cracks. Usually, food accumulates around these cracks and can get inside the tooth. To prevent that, a sealant is a preventive measure. It seals the fissure in the tooth. The fissure itself isn’t broken, but it can be weakened by food that remains on the tooth for too long if it's not cleaned in time. Because it's a fissure, food gets stuck in there, but if we seal it, you don't get a cavity from it.
What are the different types of dental sealants?
Dental sealants come in many colors and can also seal the tubules because a tooth is a porous material with small holes like tunnels. These usually extend from the center where the nerve is, radiating outwards like sun rays. These tunnels lead to the nerve, and if people are very sensitive, a clear sealant can be used to block these tubules, reducing sensitivity to stimuli such as temperature changes.
Sealants can also be white or off-white, similar to bone or tooth color, used to seal the fissures in the tooth. So, there are two different types of sealants: a clear liquid that seals the tubules and a tooth-colored one that seals the fissure of the tooth.
How are dental sealants applied to the teeth?
If it is a clear sealant for sensitivity, there's no drilling involved. You simply dry the tooth, clean it, dry it again, and then apply the sealant. Air is blown on it to help it penetrate the tubules. Some sealants require light curing; you put the light on it, and it changes state.
However, the clear sealants for sensitivity do not require light. If you're sealing the tooth because of fissures to prevent cavity formation, and there are no carriers or holes in the tooth, you use a material that changes state.
First, you clean the tooth, sometimes using acid to make it really clean and open up the tubules or tunnels. Then, you seal it with the sealant material, and once you apply the light, it changes the state of the sealant from liquid to solid.
How soon can I brush my teeth after getting dental sealant?
The answer is right away. You can start brushing your teeth as soon as you get your sealant done.
How long do dental sealants protect the tooth?
It depends on the sealant and its usage. If the purpose of the sealant is to block the tubules to reduce sensitivity, manufacturers suggest it lasts up to 6 months. However, I have patients who have not been sensitive for longer than that, up to 3 years.
Sealants used in the fissure can last from around 6 months to a year for a heavy grinder, to several years for someone who's not. I've seen patients in their 40s who had sealants done as teenagers, and it's still there. It depends on your occlusion or bite.
Can you get dental sealants if you have fillings in that tooth already, or if you have tooth decay?
The answer is no. That is not the purpose of the sealant. A sealant is a preventive measure so you don't reach the point where you need a filling.
How much does it cost for a dental sealant to be applied to my teeth?
It's definitely less expensive than getting a filling done. The least expensive filling is over $150, while a sealant will cost no more than $35.
Want to learn more? Call Steinway Family Dental Center at (718) 728-3314 or email [email protected]. Our team is happy to answer your questions and help schedule your visit.