Dental Sealants
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Dental sealants or fissure sealants are a type of dental restoration used by dentists to seal off fissures and pits in teeth, effectively separating them from your oral environment. At MD.co.uk, we offer Dental Sealants Treatment in London, where these special materials are applied to the tooth surface to protect against fermentable foods like starch or sugar and harmful bacteria. This helps prevent the formation of tooth decay, which often begins deep within the fissures. Dental sealants are commonly applied to molars and premolars, as long as the tooth surface does not have any prior fillings and is suitable for sealing.
A dental sealant is nothing but a clear protective layer made of plastic which is brushed onto the chewing surfaces of your teeth. It is applied to seal off your teeth surface from any bacterial or plaque growth which ultimately ends up in formation of cavities.
Sealants are typically applied to molars as these are the teeth performing maximum chewing and contain deep pits or fissures which hide bacteria. Filling in these pits or fissures with sealants covers up any crevices on your tooth surface, allowing them to act as a resistant to bacterial invasion. In addition, getting sealant is an easy, quick and convenient process as it is not painful at all.
Dental sealants or fissure sealants hold the one of the latest positions in the world of preventive dentistry. This technique is widely accepted as it lowers down the caries rate in children.
When your child’s molar teeth being to develop around the age of 6 years, tooth decay is the most likely to occur. At this point, your teeth are more vulnerable to decays as the top chewing surface has not yet completely mineralised. On the other hand, there are several pits and grooves in the anatomy of the chewing surface of your teeth which are called fissures.
These fissures are too narrow to allow any bristle of toothbrush clean through it. As a result, it causes bacteria to flourish and form tooth decays. A fissure sealant basically makes your tooth surface smoother than ever, leaving no places for development of decays. In fact, individuals with fissure sealants are several times less likely to develop caries.
The average life expectancy rate ranges between 80 to 90 years these days. So if the first adult tooth of your child grows at 6 years of age, you will have to keep them healthy for up to the next 80 years or more! This is what makes us believe that investing in dental treatment from an early age is worth it.
Application of dental sealants is a quick and painless process:
Dental sealant procedures require the supervision of a specialist dentist who is an expert in children’s dentistry and also adept at handling the procedure. The moisture control between the fissure or dental sealant and the tooth surface is the main determining factor of how long the sealant remains effective. Our clinics may use rubber dams during placement of fissure sealants to prevent any contamination with the saliva.
The perfect time when your child is eligible to get dental sealants is usually when their adult molars start coming up, which is typically around the age of 6 years.
Most of the parents often ask for a timeline of tooth development in their child to make sure that no new adult teeth is missed:
The plaque bacteria will get less time to build up and cause infection. However, dental sealant treatment is equally beneficial for adults in later life.
Sealants are a cost-effective option, offering solid protection against tooth decay when combined with regular dental cleanings and check-ups. If you're curious about the Dental Sealant Treatment Cost in London, the cost for sealing a single baby tooth is around £45, while the cost for an adult tooth typically ranges from £55 to £75. These prices can vary across our partner clinics and depending on the dentist.
It is essential to make our children aware of the importance of good oral habits from their early childhood. It is found that most of the children tend to get oral cavities by the time they start going to school just because of their poor oral hygiene. Children these days also tend to consume a huge amount of sugary drinks and unhealthy snacks.
Several species of bacteria are present in everyone’s mouth. These bacteria release acid on our teeth on consumption of sugar. This acid causes our enamel to wear away over time and ends up in tooth decays.
In order to keep these bacteria in check, brushing, flossing, dental cleaning, and cutting down on sugar intake are crucial techniques. However, our teeth may get fissures or pits hiding bacteria within; despite following these hygiene habits. Patients may be genetically disposed to having deep fissures and it is not easy for the toothbrush to reach those fissures, and this is why sealant may be necessary as an extra layer of protection!
Book your consultation with MD.co.uk Dental today and ensure lasting protection for your child’s molars.