Are Sealants Only for Children?

You know that regular teeth brushing, flossing, and dental checkups are vital to ensure oral health at all ages. Yet, you may not have considered dental sealants for your adult teeth.

Dental sealants are protective coatings for your molars that protect these hard-to-clean teeth from cavities.

Sealants have become popular in recent years for children, but that doesn’t mean they’re only for children. Studies show young adults ages 20-34 have the highest incidence of cavities in their back teeth, making those in this age group good candidates for dental sealants.

Greenwich Dentistry in Greenwich, Connecticut, offers general dentistry, including routine cleanings and dental sealants.

Benefits of dental sealants

Your hard-working molars do most of the chewing when you eat. And because they’re in the back of your mouth and contain multiple grooves, they’re harder to clean. Food can get caught in your molars and lead to cavities.

Dental sealants can reduce cavity risk by 80%. Painting a dental sealant on the top surface of a tooth creates a smooth surface, which makes cleaning the tooth easier and reduces the likelihood that food gets trapped and leads to decay.

Fewer cavities make for better long-term oral health and less expensive dental bills later in life.

What to expect from dental sealants 

When you visit Greenwich Dentistry for dental sealants, we first clean your teeth. We want to start with a fresh canvas by removing any plaque. Next, we dry your molars and may apply a solution that makes your teeth a little rougher so the sealant bonds better.

Next, we apply sealant to your back teeth. Once it’s applied, we let it harden and may use a special light to help it cure. The whole process only takes a few minutes. 

We make a final evaluation and schedule your next visit. You can return to your daily schedule because there’s no downtime needed after the procedure.

With sealants, you don’t need to do anything special to care for your teeth. You can brush and floss as usual and feel confident your teeth are protected.

Are dental sealants right for you?

The bottom line is cavities aren’t just for kids. Adults get them too.

To determine if your teeth are good candidates for dental sealants, we evaluate them and may take X-rays to assess your overall oral health. We may not recommend dental sealants if you already have extensive tooth decay, tooth restorations, or other oral health problems.

If you’re considering the cavity-fighting protection of dental sealants, schedule an appointment with Greenwich Dentistry by calling our Cos Cob office today.