What is a Sealant?

A dental sealant is a thin plastic film painted on the chewing surfaces of teeth to prevent cavities.

How effective are sealants?

Studies have proven that properly applied sealants are 100-percent effective in protecting the tooth surfaces from cavities. As long as the sealant remains intact, small food particles and bacteria that cause cavities cannot penetrate through or around a sealant. Sealant protection is reduced or lost when part or all of the bond between the tooth and sealant is broken. However, clinical studies have shown that teeth that have lost sealants are no more susceptible to tooth decay than teeth that were never sealed.

Why can't I just brush and floss?

While brushing and flossing help to remove food particles and plaque from smooth surfaces of teeth, toothbrush bristles often can't reach into the teeth's depressions and grooves. Sealants protect those areas and prevent food and bacteria from getting in.

How are sealants applied?

Your dentist can apply sealants easily, and it takes only a few minutes to seal each tooth. The dentist first cleans the teeth that will be sealed, which may require the use of a dental drill to open the grooves of the teeth and determine if decay is present. Then he or she will roughen the chewing surfaces with an acid solution, which will help the sealant stick to the teeth. The dentist then "paints" the sealant on the tooth. It bonds directly to the tooth and hardens. Sometimes your dentist will use a special curing light to help the sealant harden. Sealant treatment is painless and takes anywhere from five to 45 minutes to apply, depending on how many teeth need to be sealed. Sealants must be applied properly for good retention.

How long will a sealant last?

As long as the sealant remains intact, the tooth surface will be protected from decay. Sealants hold up well under the force of normal chewing and usually last several years before a reapplication is needed. The risk of decay decreases significantly after sealant application. During your regular dental visits, your dentist will check the condition of the sealants and reapply them when necessary.

Who should receive sealant treatment?

Children, because they have newly erupted, permanent teeth, receive the greatest benefit from sealants. The chewing surfaces of a child's teeth are most susceptible to cavities. Surveys show that the majority of all cavities occur in the narrow pits and grooves of a child's newly erupted teeth because food particles and bacteria cannot be cleaned out. Other patients also can benefit from sealant placement, such as those who have existing pits and grooves susceptible to decay. Research has shown that almost everybody has a 95-percent chance of eventually experiencing cavities in the pits and grooves of their teeth.

Aren't sealants just for kids?

Decay can begin early in life, so dentists usually apply sealants to children's and teenagers' premolars and molars to protect them. But sealants can protect adults' teeth, too. Ask your dentist about sealants for your children or for yourself to see if they would be beneficial.

Are sealants covered by insurance?

Insurance benefits for sealant procedures have increased considerably, especially as companies start to realize that sealants are a proven preventive technique. This preventive measure can help reduce future dental expenses and protect the teeth from more aggressive forms of treatment

Dental Sealants: Is My Child a Candidate?

By age 19, tooth decay affects nearly 70 percent of America's children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Left untreated, tooth decay, also known as cavities, may result in pain and infection.

One highly effective option to help prevent cavities is dental sealants – a thin plastic film painted on the chewing surface of teeth.

Dental sealants have been proven a safe and cost-efficient dental procedure for patients prone to cavities. Even health care task forces are recognizing the benefits of dental sealants, recommending school-based programs.

However, an article in the February 2006 issue of AGD Impact, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) monthly newsmagazine, cites several reports that explain dental sealants are still underused, despite their advantages in averting tooth decay for an average of five to seven years.

"Studies show that many children are exceptional candidates for dental sealants.," says AGD spokesperson Mark Ritz, DDS, MAGD. "Parents should consider sealants as a preventive measure in their child's oral health and discuss this option with their dentist."

Surveys show the majority of all cavities occur in the narrow pits and grooves of a child's newly erupted teeth because food particles and bacteria are not easily cleaned out. A risk assessment by a dentist best determines if a child is a candidate for dental sealants.

Dental sealants act as a barrier to "seal-off" space between the tooth surface and any small food particles or bacteria that may otherwise cause a cavity in an "unsealed" tooth.

Paired with twice-daily brushing with a fluoridated toothpaste, a healthy diet and visiting the dentist twice a year to monitor the sealants' placement or bond on the tooth, properly applied dental sealants are 100-percent effective in preventing cavities.

"Remember that dental sealants do not protect against gum disease such as gingivitis, oral cancer or many common dental conditions," says Dr. Ritz. "Regular dental checkups are vital to monitor overall oral health."

Benefits of dental sealants:

• Paired with good oral health care, sealants are 100-percent effective against cavities in teeth that are sealed and properly maintained.
• Minimally invasive, safe and effective preventive procedure.
• Costs less than getting a cavity filled.

Go the Extra Mile for a Healthy Smile

For some, good oral hygiene may mean just brushing, flossing and using a germ-fighting mouthwash, but for others, that's only the beginning of a cavity-fighting regime. In fact, many people are taking heed to an oral health care procedure more commonly associated with children; the use of dental sealants.

Decay is subject to begin early in life, affecting children and teens' teeth that are exposed to harmful foods and beverages. Many dentists recommend and apply dental sealants to premolars and molars in their younger patients, but according to AGD Impact, the monthly newsmagazine of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), sealants can also protect adult teeth and seal them from decay-causing bacteria.

Dental sealants are made of plastic and are applied directly to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth that fit into the depressions and grooves (pits and fissures) of teeth.

"It takes only a few minutes to seal each tooth and once applied, can protect teeth from decay for up to several years," says AGD spokesperson and past president, Bruce DeGinder, DDS, MAGD.

So how does a thin plastic film painted on the chewing surfaces of teeth protect tooth enamel from bacteria and acids that cause decay and cavities?

"As long as the sealant remains intact, small food particles and bacteria that cause cavities cannot penetrate through or around a sealant," says Dr. DeGinder. "Sealant protection is reduced or lost when part or the entire bond between the tooth and sealant is broken."

Visiting your general dentist twice a year for regular dental appointments will allow the dentists to check the condition of dental sealants and reapply them when necessary.

What is the procedure for applying a dental sealant?

• Clean the teeth (Your dentist may need to check whether decay is present in the grooves of the teeth)

• Roughen the chewing surfaces with an acid solution (This process will help the sealant stick to the teeth)

• Paint the sealant on the tooth (It bonds directly to the tooth and hardens)