Sal S. Aragona DDS MAGD AADSM
Clinton Township, MI 48036
Dental sealants are a great way to prevent cavities from forming in permanent teeth. Often times the chewing surface of a tooth will have deep narrow grooves that are so small even a tooth brush bristle cannot get into it. This is not a good situation because bacteria that causes cavities can get into these grooves and cause damage to the teeth for a long time before it could even be detected. Sealing these grooves before the bacteria gets a chance to attack is the best way to assure that the teeth will remain strong and healthy.
Sealants are easy to place and require no drilling or numbing! We simply clean and the tooth and place a preparing solution which we rinse off and then we dry the tooth. Finally we squirt a filler material into the deep grooves of the tooth and shine a special light to harden the material and you are all set.
When should these sealants be placed you might ask. They are best placed shortly after the teeth are completely visible in the mouth. The very first permanent back tooth or molar usually erupts around the age of six. These first permanent molars come in behind all of the baby teeth which are usually in place by around age two years.
So if your child has his/her permanent molars in you may want to ask about dental sealants as a way to prevent unnecessary cavities.