Dental Sealants
Charlotte, NC
 The application of dental sealants can protect the most vulnerable areas of your teeth. In just minutes, we can shield your teeth from decay in the spots most susceptible. The shape, indention, and positioning of your teeth can leave spots where food can become easily stuck or difficult to clean. We invite you to learn more about dental sealants. Ask a member of our team at Myers Park Dental Partners about them today!
Our teeth are perfectly designed to allow us to bite and chew our food. We have pointed front teeth for biting, and then larger, flatter teeth in the back to break down food before we swallow. Nature has done a wonderful job of contributing to our omnivore diet with the design and shape of our teeth. Even still, the pit and fissures of our molars come in a wide variety of shapes, and some of those ridges are shaped in such a way that can make them vulnerable to disease. As we chew, small particles can become lodged in these small areas of our teeth. Some particles can be removed from brushing, but there may also be some that can’t. Additionally, some of our patients, especially our younger child patients, may not be the best brushers, leaving particles behind.
We can protect your teeth with the placement of dental sealants.
How do dental sealants work?
Dental sealants are a plastic coating for small areas of your teeth. They serve as a barrier between your teeth and plaque or food. We begin with thoroughly cleaning the tooth or teeth in question. We then apply a light etching to the surface of the tooth. This will help the sealant bond better to the tooth surface. Once the tooth is prepared, we apply dental sealants with a paint brush. It begins as a liquid plastic that we literally brush on to teeth. Sealants are dried hard often with the use of a laser blue light. The dental sealant material is colored very similar to your tooth enamel, but you may be able to see it when looking for it. It is a varnish that will remain in place for years, though we will check on its status with each checkup and can reapply when needed.
We recommend dental sealants for all of our child and adolescent aged patients once they have grown their adult molars. We may also recommend dental sealants for our adult patients who have pits and fissures that collect food, or who have difficulty in regular brushing. They do an excellent job of keeping those areas free of debris and shielding the tooth structure.
Are dental sealants successful?
With anything, there are stories of those who have had problems with their dental sealants. Overall, dental sealants have changed the world of dentistry, especially in children. The standard used to be that children and cavities went hand in hand. Today, many of our adolescent patients are reaching adulthood without ever experiencing a cavity. This is attributed to better oral health education, dental offices improving relations with patients, and the addition of dental sealants. We want to foster a good oral health routine with our patients, we want them to feel comfortable coming to our office, we want them to know how to take care of their teeth, and we want them to be aware of preventive dental steps including dental sealants.
If you need a dental sealant, call Myers Park Dental Partners at (704) 332-2532 to schedule a dental exam.
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