What Are the Benefits of the Dental Sealants for Adults?

Researchers discovered dental sealants in the 60s, and over time the benefits provided by bonds have improved significantly. Sealants are a thin coating applied on the chewing surfaces of children’s and teenager’s molars to help prevent the buildup of acids and bacteria, leading causes of tooth decay.

Everyone’s teeth are coated with a gluey film of bacteria called dental plaque. The sticky film develops when you have foods or substances containing sugar like cookies, candy, sports drinks, et cetera. The bacteria in the plaque convert the sugar into acids that attack the tooth enamel. Over time the attacks cause cavities permanent damages to the teeth.

If you fear you or your children may develop cavities on your teeth, it helps if you lookout for a dentist providing sealants near me to get them placed on the premolars and molars to protect them from tooth decay.

Why May You Require Dental Sealants?

Tooth decay often starts on the chewing surfaces of the molars having pits and grooves that are prominent in trapping bacteria and food particles. The pits and grooves are challenging to clean for children and adults because the bristles of a toothbrush cannot reach them. When the plaque remains on the teeth, the bacteria penetrate the tooth enamel to start forming cavities. To prevent tooth decay from expanding, the dentist in Chicago recommends getting dental sealants on the molars.

How Do Sealants Function?

Dental sealants are flexible liquids administered to the chewing exteriors of the molars. The adhesive seeps into the pits and fissures of the teeth to act as a barrier to seal teeth and protect the tooth enamel by sealing out the plaque, food particles, and bacteria.

What Is the Lifespan of Dental Sealants?

Generally, dental sealants last for nearly a decade after placement. However, they may require replacement because they are prone to become loose or worn. When the adhesives are compromised, they might not offer optimal protection to the teeth. In addition, habits like chewing on hard foods, biting ice, and other practices can compromise the efficacy of the sealant. If you have dental fissure sealants, the Chicago dentist checks the application during regular visits and provides reapplication if necessary.

Who Can Get Dental Sealant over Their Teeth?

A popular belief exists the children and teenagers are the only candidates for getting dental sealants on their molars. Reasons mentioned for the belief point towards the higher incidence of tooth decay and cavities among children. Unfortunately, proponents of the misconception perhaps forget tooth decay can affect anyone with teeth in their mouths. Therefore there is no harm for older members in the family to seek dental sealants for adults.

The dental fissure sealant provides similar benefits to adults as it does with children and teenagers by sealing their molars and preventing the development of cavities on them. However, adults can undergo the sealant placement procedure if their teeth are not restored, and there are no cavities in the pits and fissures. Adults who have stained teeth or mild decay receive suggestions from their dentist to get sealants or feelings if the decay has advanced. This

Although children are the primary candidates for receiving dental sealants, the creators of this preventive measure did not develop sealants exclusively for children. Dental sealants are an excellent preventive measure to ensure your teeth aren’t affected by cavities to require frequent visits to dentists for expensive treatments to protect your teeth.

Dental sealants protect your teeth against 80 percent cavities for up to 2 years after the initial application. After that, the protection continues against 50 percent of holes for another four years while the sealants themselves remain on the teeth for nearly a decade.

However, children or adults considering sealants on their teeth must realize the bonds are applied only on the chewing surfaces of the molars. Unfortunately, cavities develop on surfaces of all teeth and even between them. Therefore despite getting sealants, everyone should brush their teeth twice daily, clean between them at least once a day, have a healthy diet, and visit dentists are six-monthly intervals for exams and cleanings. Furthermore, dental sealants are merely a preventive measure on a tiny portion of their mouths and do not cover all their teeth. Therefore while anyone can have dental sealants as a preventive measure, none can neglect appropriate dental hygiene if they wish to save time, money, and pain by preventing visits to dental offices seeking expensive treatments for tooth decay.