Dental Sealants

Many of the foods you or your child eat, especially those high in sugar and starches, cause the bacteria that normally occurs in your mouth to produce acids. If this acidic plaque isn't removed from your teeth by daily brushing and flossing, tooth decay will occur.

Even if you brush and floss regularly, some teeth, especially the back molars, can be difficult to clean because of their shape. The chewing surface of the molars have tiny grooves, called pits and fissures, that can be so deep and/or narrow that the bristles of your toothbrush can't reach down into them to clean out the plaque. Also, the enamel at the deepest part of the groove is frequently thinner, giving any plaque that does form an easier time of penetrating through.

To protect a tooth that is deeply grooved, Dr. Prehn can apply a plastic resin material called a dental sealant. The sealant levels out the grooves in the tooth, making the tooth smoother and more even so it is easier to clean, and seals the surface, protecting it from the acid attacks of plaque.

Since the 1970s, the widespread exposure to fluoride, in water, toothpaste and mouthwash, has lowered the incidence of tooth decay on the smooth surfaces of the teeth. However, fluoride is not as successful at preventing pit and fissure decay on the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Since pit and fissure decay is the most common form of tooth decay for children and teens, dental sealants are utilized as a preventive measure to protect a child's teeth during the years in which they are most likely to experience tooth decay.

Dental sealants aren't just for children, however. Adults can benefit from dental sealants, too. Any tooth that has the deep pits and fissures that place it at risk for tooth decay should be sealed. The only requirements for sealing are that a tooth have deep fissures and pits and that the patient be of an age and disposition to cooperate with Dr. Prehn during the procedure.

The sealing process itself is very simple. The surface of the tooth to be sealed must be clean for the material to adhere, so first Dr. Prehn will scrub the surface. Next, an "etching" gel will be applied on the area that is to be sealed. Once the surface has been prepared so that the sealant will bond well, the tooth is cleaned and dried. Keeping the tooth dry is very important, as it determines the quality of the bond between enamel and sealant. Dr. Prehn then 'paints' the sealant onto the tooth and uses a special light to 'cure' the material.

If the tooth was kept properly dry during the application process, the dental sealant can last from five to ten years, or even longer, keeping you or your child's tooth healthy and protected from decay.