Your children brush twice a day — so why do they still get small cavities? Brushing and flossing cleans most of the surfaces of their front teeth, but getting to the crevices in the back molars and premolars is nearly impossible for little, untrained hands. Those tiny dips and pits are perfect for trapping food and bacteria, which often results in the formation of cavities in young, vulnerable teeth.
What Are Sealants?
Fortunately, at Ark-La-Tex Pediatric Dentistry— your local Texarkana and New Boston family dentist — Dr. Brian Steele can include sealants in your child’s dental plan: a noninvasive, preventive tooth-decay treatment that protects teeth and keeps them healthy while they mature and strengthen. Dental sealants are made from a resin material that is used to coat the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. It is painted on and seals the nooks and crannies in the teeth so that food and other plaque-causing materials that cause cavities are kept out.
The Procedure
At Ark-La-Tex Pediatric Dentistry, the procedure for applying sealants is simple, painless, fast, and takes only one visit. First Dr. Steele will remove decay from your teeth and thoroughly clean and dry them. Next the sealant material is painted on the chewing surface. It will naturally bond to the tooth on its own; however, a special light may be used to speed the process, helping the sealant to harden in just a couple of minutes.