What are Dental Sealants?
What are they?
A dental sealant is a thin plastic coating (clear or white) that’s bonded into the pits and grooves of a tooth.
They’re most frequently placed on the chewing surface of teeth (where most of a tooth’s grooves lie).
There’s nothing new about the use of sealants. Dentists have been placing them since the late 1960s.
Why are they needed?
Sealants help to protect teeth from the formation of tooth decay.
How do dental sealants work?
In a nutshell, a sealant creates a smoother tooth surface.
One that’s easier to clean and therefore more resistant to the formation of decay.
Who should get them?
Most sealants are placed on the teeth of children.
However, any person who has deep grooves on the tooth could benefit from this type of protection, no matter what their age, can and should receive one.
