You, as a parent, want to provide the best for your child’s oral health. It’s up to you to find a trusted dentist near you, encourage healthy habits at home, and feel confident you are doing all you can to successfully maintain your child’s strong smile. One preventive dental service you may have heard about is dental sealants. Are they worth it? Let’s learn more about what sealants are, why they are recommended by many dental providers, and how they fit into a healthy routine for children. 

What are Dental Sealants?

Dental sealants are a protective coating made from a safe resin material. They are placed on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth—molars and premolars—where cavities are most likely to develop. This part of the tooth has large grooves, which are prone to retaining food and bad bacteria, so it is difficult to clean even with good brushing. Once applied, sealants act like a protective barrier for the teeth by preventing bacteria and acids from causing a cavity. Sealants come in clear or tooth-colored, so it is harder to tell they are on your teeth, and they blend in.

Why are Sealants Helpful for Kids?

Children are prone to decay in their molars for several reasons: 

  • They are still mastering the proper brushing and flossing technique. 
  • They eat a fair amount of snacks and foods that can stick to teeth. 
  • The grooves in the molars are also more challenging to brush cleanly.

Sealants are a way to provide children with an extra layer of protection throughout these critical early years. According to research, sealants can lower the chance of getting cavities within the molars by nearly 80%. This is a huge difference if we consider dental fillings and the odds of dental problems later in life; the more cavities there are, the greater the risk there is of developing problems.

Are Sealants Going to Hurt or be Complicated?

No. It is simple, quick, and painless! Here is what typically happens: 

  • The dentist will clean and dry the tooth that will receive the dental sealant. 
  • They will apply a special gel to prepare the surface of the tooth that the dental sealant will go onto. 
  • Will apply the dental sealants and use a curing light to harden them. 

The process of applying a dental sealant, per tooth, takes only a few minutes. The vast majority of kids do not feel anything during the application process.

Do Sealants Replace Brushing and Flossing?

Sealants are an excellent preventive measure, but they don’t replace proper oral hygiene. Children should brush twice daily and floss at least once per day. This is where many parents wonder: Do you need to floss every day? Yes—flossing daily is as important as brushing our teeth! 

Why is Flossing so Important?

Flossing removes food particles, plaque, and debris between the teeth that the toothbrush bristles cannot reach. Without flossing, plaque can build up in between the teeth and lead to gum irritation, cavities between teeth, and eventually gum disease. 

Daily flossing benefits are as follows:

  • Removes hidden plaque and bacteria.
  • Helps to prevent cavities between teeth.
  • Protects the gums from inflammation and bleeding.
  • Promotes fresh breath.

It is hard to exaggerate the importance of flossing. While brushing cleans the surfaces of the teeth, flossing will complete the cleaning by cleaning the tight spaces in between.

What do Dentists Recommend for Flossing?

A dentist-recommended flossing routine from your dentist involves:

Floss once a day, ideally before bed, with:

  • 18 inches of floss, wrapped around your fingers
  • Gently insert the floss between your teeth and along the gum line
  • If your child struggles with regular floss, you may want to try floss picks/superfloss. You can also use a water flosser to help develop the daily routine.

How to Prevent Gum Disease

You might be wondering how sealants relate to gum disease. Sealants don’t help with gum disease directly, but do reduce the risk of cavities. If your child has minimal cavities, this means they have minimal fillings, which contributes to overall healthy teeth and gums.

Teaching your child how to care for their teeth (brushing, flossing, and eating a healthy, balanced diet) is the best way to reduce gum disease as they grow. Sealants simply provide one more layer of protection in the overall plan.

So, Are Sealants Worth It?

For many parents, sealants make sense because they help safeguard children’s teeth during the years when cavities are most likely to form. Along with brushing and flossing, and regular visits to a children’s dentist in Calgary SE, sealants can add extra peace of mind for families worried about their child’s dental health and help them work towards an overall healthier smile.

Give Your Child’s Smile Extra Protection with Inglewood Family Dental

We at Inglewood Family Dental recognize how foundational oral health is to your family. As you work to apply sealants, build a flossing routine, or protect against gum disease, you can rely on our passionate team to help you along the way.

Our consistent dental visits allow us to keep an eye on your child’s teeth development, provide preventive treatment (that could be sealants), and allow our clinic to be a friendly, welcoming place for your child. 

If you would like your child to have the additional protection of sealants and to start off with a healthy smile, please call us for an appointment today. You can schedule an appointment and take action towards better oral health for your child.