Sealants

Regular brushing and flossing help remove plaque and food particles from the smooth tooth surfaces but are not as efficient in cleaning the vulnerable areas like grooves, pits, and fissures present on the tooth surface. 75% of the decay starts from these hard-to-clean areas where food particles and plaque lay entrapped. A dental sealant is a thin protective coating that is painted on the chewing surfaces of molars and premolars to seal off the depressions and grooves and gives a smooth finish to teeth. Dental sealants form a protective shield on the tooth enamel and can protect them from decay for years if regularly checked for chips and cracks.

What are the benefits of dental sealants?

Dental sealants have numerous benefits and the most significant ones are listed below:

Dental sealants protect the hard-to-reach areas of teeth like fissures and grooves from food particles.
Applying dental sealants to teeth is an easy and quick process.
Dental sealants begin their work immediately after the application as they dry quickly.
Most dental insurance plans cover the cost of sealants, which makes them affordable. If you do not have dental insurance, please ask us about our cash pay charge for this treatment.
Dental sealants are virtually invisible and protect the aesthetics of your mouth.
Dental sealants are extremely durable and easily withstand the pressure exerted when biting and chewing.
Children, adults, and teenagers can all benefit from dental sealants to keep decay and cavities at bay.
Dental sealants are completely safe. Most children have no adverse reaction to sealants.

How are sealants placed?

Dental sealants will be applied to your teeth by either your dentist or a dental hygienist. The process is not time-consuming and requires only 20-30 minutes. Dental sealants can be easily applied in the following five steps:

First, the teeth are thoroughly cleaned to remove plaque and trapped food particles.
Each tooth to be sealed is dried and surrounded with cotton or other absorbent material to maintain the dryness.
An etching solution is applied to the enamel to roughen the tooth surface, which enables the dental sealant to easily bond to the tooth surface.
The teeth are again rinsed and allowed to dry.
The dental sealant is carefully painted onto the tooth enamel and is left to harden. A special curing light is used to accelerate the hardening of the sealant.

Proper oral health care and a healthy balanced diet combined with regular visits to Bliss Dentistry of Campbell will help maintain your dental sealants.