Sealants

Sealants are a thin coating of plastic material usually applied to the chewing surfaces of your back teeth to help protect the grooves and pits of these teeth that are more prone to decay and cavity development. Even regular brushing sometimes misses some of these intricate structures, and bacteria and food debris can invade the deep crevices, setting the stage for decay to begin.

Although sealants were developed about 50 years ago, they didn't become commonly used until the 1970s. Today, sealants are widely popular and effective, and young children are great candidates for preventative measures like sealants because in many cases, decay has not set in.

Before applying a sealant, we clean the tooth surface, and then etch the tooth with a solution that provides for better adherence of the sealant. After the sealant is applied, a warm light source is used on the site to harden the sealant.