It can be very frustrating to see your child get cavities even though they brush their teeth regularly. Many kids and adults have very deep grooves and pits on their back molars. These pits and fissures harbor bacteria that can cause tooth decay. Brushing alone does not always remove all the plaque from these deeply grooved areas.
Dental sealants are easily-placed protective coatings that can smooth the surface of the back molars. This reduces the area for bacteria to inhabit. Fewer bacteria mean less acid and less acid greatly reduces your child’s risk of decay. A systematic review and a clinical practice guideline from the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry showed that “dental sealants are a powerful and effective therapy in the fight against childhood dental decay and disease.”
Not everyone knows that tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of children aged 6 to 11 years (21 percent) and adolescents aged 12 to 19 years (58 percent). Just for the sake of comparison, only 8.6% of the US adolescent population has asthma. After more than 25 years of practicing dentistry, I have seen thousands of children with cavities their parents did not know about. Kids are squirmy and it can be difficult to see in their small mouths. Dental disease is often a hidden process that parents may not be aware of until pain develops. That’s why it is so important to establish dental care by your child’s first birthday and consider every option available to help prevent tooth decay.
When you consider how easily a sealant can be placed on your child’s tooth, it is a natural choice for prevention. Sealants are done without any anesthesia or “shot.” There is no drilling of the tooth. The tooth is cleaned thoroughly and a clear or white coating is placed on the tooth. Then the coating is hardened or cured with an ultraviolet light. Many dental offices routinely offer this protective service for children starting around age 6 years old.
Permanent molars typically start erupting or growing into the back of the mouth around age 6. These are referred to as “first molars” or “6-year molars.” Sealants can be done on these permanent teeth right after they fully erupt. The next round of dental sealants is typically placed on the “second molars” or “12-year molars” when a child is around 12 years old.
When you understand the process of sealants, you are more likely to take an active role in preventing dental decay for your children. First graders don’t realize how important their new permanent molars are. But you do. Talk with your child’s dentist and create a prevention plan that will help your child achieve a lifetime of healthy smiles!
-by Dr. Mandy Ashley and Dr. Madison Galloway
About Our Dentists: Dr. Mandy Ashley and Dr. Madison Galloway are Board Certified Pediatric Dentists proud to serve the communities of Bowling Green, Hopkinsville, Glasgow and Goodlettsville! We look forward to sharing our vision of excellent comprehensive dental care that is fun for children and people with special healthcare needs with your family.
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