Cavities are common in kids, but it is important to protect their teeth as much as possible. To help prevent tooth decay, your dentist can coat your child’s teeth with a special sealant that offers protection from bacteria and plaque.
Why is it Important to Protect Your Child’s Teeth?
Children have a high risk of cavities, partly because it is often hard to get them to brush consistently, but also because primary teeth have a thinner layer of enamel than adult teeth do.
This means it is important to protect your child’s primary teeth—because they have an important job to do. The primary teeth aren’t just a “starter set” of teeth. One of their most important functions is to serve as a template for the adult teeth as they grow in. However, if a primary tooth has fallen out due to decay before the adult tooth can push it out, it can’t serve its purpose. If a child loses several teeth earlier than normal, there’s a risk that the adult teeth will be misaligned when they grow in.
How Sealants Work
Luckily, there’s a simple way to protect your child’s teeth from decay and cavities: dental sealants.
A dental sealant is a thin plasticized coating that covers a child’s back molars. These are the teeth that are most vulnerable to cavities because they have uneven surfaces with deep grooves that are harder for kids to clean.
The dental sealant coats the molars and prevents food particles from sticking in their grooves. This means bacteria can’t use the particles as a food source and are unable to deposit plaque acids on the teeth.
Dental sealants aren’t foolproof, as tiny chips or tears can develop in the plastic over time, although these are easy to repair. Therefore, it is still important that your child brushes and flosses as part of a normal dental hygiene routine. Building these good habits will help ensure they have healthy adult teeth as they get older, too.
Call Today to Make an Appointment
For your child’s current and future oral health, it is important to focus on protecting their teeth from a young age. Children’s teeth are vulnerable to decay, so sealants are important to ensure their teeth are properly protected.
In Plains, Wilkes Barre, Scranton, or Dallas, call 570-822-3040 to schedule an appointment for your child to see Renee E. Edwards DMD, PC. Dr. Edwards has been practicing dentistry for more than 25 years and understands the importance of early childhood dental care.