February 3, 2014

Good News for EVERYONE!
Today There’s a Bulletproof Way to Lock Out Cavities.

You’ve got plenty of company. Nobody likes hearing they’ll need a filling. And dentists hate delivering the news – because we know that even though a cavity can be filled, decay weakens teeth forever.

So the development of dental sealants is great news for dentist and patients alike.

An Extra Layer of Protection

Sealants are clear plastic coatings dentists can apply to the chewing surfaces of your back teeth, and palate side of some top front teeth to totally LOCK OUT decay.

Why only these teeth? Because those are the ones with the nooks and crannies – what dentists call “pits, fissures & grooves” – that make them hard to keep clean, no matter how carefully you brush.

In fact some of the “fissures” in these teeth are so deep and narrow a tooth brush bristle simply can’t get inside. And, to make things worse, the enamel inside these fissures is often thinner than normal, so they’re easy prey for decay.

But sealants bond to these vulnerable areas, covering them completely so decay doesn’t have a chance to get in.

Quick, Painless and Effective

Having your teeth protected with sealant is a breeze.

  • There’s no drilling involved. Your teeth are cleaned and treated briefly with a gel that temporarily microscopically roughens the surface.
  • The tooth is cleaned again and the sealant is painted on. In some cases a special light will be used to help harden the sealant.
  • And that’s it! The sealant hardens in about a minute – and protects your tooth for many many years.

How effective are they? Well, as a colleague who’s been placing sealants for years likes to say,  “If medical researchers came up with a preventive measure as effective against disease as sealants are against cavities, we’d probably all start living forever.”

Recommended by the ADA

If you have kids, you probably know sealants are regularly used on children and teenagers. What you may not know is that according to the America Dental Association “the recommendations are clear: sealants are not just for children; adults can benefit, too.”

  • The older you are the more you need the protection sealants offer because, unlike younger folks, you probably didn’t grow up drinking fluoridated water and using toothpaste with fluoride.
  • In fact, this simple procedure is the very best way to assure that any tooth that’s been cavity free so far STAYS cavity free form many years to come.

Most insurance won’t pay for sealants on adults, but many of our patients choose to get them anyway. In fact they tell me they consider sealants just like having their own personal insurance policy since it protects both their teeth and their wallets.

Just Ask

If that sounds smart to you, just ask us about dental sealants. We’ll be happy to give you all the details on how this quick and simple procedure can keep you smiling by locking out cavities for years to come.