You’re worried about your child’s dental health. You know that tooth decay is a serious problem, and it can lead to pain, infection, and even tooth loss.
Imagine getting a professional dental treatment that can prevent cavities from forming in the first place. You will have peace of mind knowing that your child’s teeth are protected from cavities with fissure sealants. Fissure sealants are made of white or clear composite resin, like white dental fillings painted on teeth. By forming a hard shield, the sealant prevents bacteria and food from getting into the tiny grooves (fissures) or small hollows (pits) on the teeth. The treatment is quick, easy, and painless for both you and your child.
Protecting children’s teeth from cavities doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive! Smiles in Currambine offers fissure sealants for children at an affordable price. Sealants are a safe, effective way to prevent tooth decay in children’s permanent teeth before it starts! Call us today at (08) 9305 4888 to schedule an appointment with our friendly dentists. They are highly trained and experienced in applying fissure sealants.
Placing sealants in the fissures of your teeth is an easy and effective way to reduce decay. Among the benefits they provide are:
Our fissure sealants offer a proactive approach, protecting your child's tooth enamel from decay by applying a thin, protective dental solution on the chewing surfaces.
At Smiles in Currambine, we prioritise your child's oral health, providing fissure sealants to help prevent cavities and maintain their beautiful smiles.
We understand the importance of a positive dental experience for children. Our team ensures a fun and enjoyable visit, making us the ideal choice for fissure sealants in Currambine, WA. Saturday appointments available!
Fissure sealants are a preventative technique used to keep cavities at bay. Children who have already had their permanent molars erupt might need fissure sealant to protect their teeth and keep them in top shape. A comprehensive dental examination of your child’s new permanent teeth will reveal whether they have pits and fissures, indicating a higher risk of dental caries. Not all teeth with fissures, however, require sealants. Children’s dentists must assess deep pits and fissures to determine if sealants are necessary.
A child’s teeth are at the most significant risk because their enamel is weak and they have not yet formed good brushing habits. Sealing fissures is therefore often recommended for children. However, fissure sealants can also be beneficial to adults who have healthy molars without cavities to prevent cavities from developing in the future. During the course of our lives, we become more vulnerable to decay, and the protective qualities and biochemistry of our saliva change with age. Therefore, adults may also benefit from this treatment. However, a sealant will not work on a tooth with a restoration or implant already in place.
It might be difficult to remove food and plaque from teeth with deep fissures (grooves) and pits (hollows), leading to tooth decay. Sealants help prevent tooth decay by closing fissures and making it easier to brush your teeth regularly. Dental sealants wrap and seal the grooves and hollows of the teeth, preventing harmful bacteria from forming. They’re most commonly used on the back of the mouth’s molars and premolars, as these are the teeth with the most irregular surfaces.
Despite having similar functionality to fillings, fissure sealants are not fillings. As such, they cannot be used for the filling of cavities or to restore teeth that have already been filled.
The application of fissure sealants is a painless and straightforward process. The procedure usually takes a few minutes per tooth, doesn’t require anaesthesia, and usually does not require drilling.
First, the tooth is thoroughly cleaned to prevent bacteria or food particles from being trapped. A thorough cleaning ensures that the sealant is firmly bonded to the tooth and that the tooth is cavity-free, in good condition, and well-suited to the sealant.
The tooth is then applied with an etching gel and left to dry for a short time before being removed. It is yet another way to ensure the sealant bonds properly to the tooth. Additionally, the etching gel kills bacteria that may have remained on the teeth after the cleaning process.
The etching gel is then washed off the tooth, and the liquid resin-based sealant is painted on it. As the sealant flows into the deep grooves and hollows, it will seal them off. Despite changing the chewing surface of the tooth, the thin plastic does not change or impair chewing ability.
An intense light is then used to bond and dry the sealant. Your child will then undergo a bite test in order to ensure that the sealant has been placed correctly and is not negatively affecting their bite. The excess sealant will then be polished off.
Sealants are only one aspect of a child’s overall dental care. They should brush their teeth and maintain good oral hygiene as usual. Brushing teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste is still necessary. It will be easier to clean sealed surfaces when toothbrushing because the brush will reach all surfaces. It is also critical that youngsters do not consume excessive amounts of sugary foods and beverages, particularly between meals.
Fissure sealants can last for many years if the application process is precise. They do, however, need to be reapplied in some cases. It is possible for the sealant to come off at any time, but it usually does after six months. It is recommended that your child’s sealant be checked regularly by their dentist as part of their regular dental check-up. Reapplying it is necessary after it wears down over time.
Fissure sealants are long-lasting and can withstand the stresses of daily chewing for months or even years. A dental sealant usually lasts 5 to 10 years and can be reapplied if it starts to deteriorate. However, individuals may wear down protective coatings at different rates, as every person is different. Fissure sealers might be less durable if the application was complex. Your child’s dentist should examine sealants regularly to ensure they are in good condition.
Fissure sealants can be applied to any tooth with a pit or fissure. However, they are most often recommended for permanent six-year-old molars, twelve-year-old molars, and even lateral incisors with deep grooves on the inside. Fissure sealants are even applied to baby molars in some circumstances where a child is at high risk for decay. At your next appointment, one of our dentists can evaluate this for you. Because certain teeth have shorter grooves, sealing may not be required. On the other hand, some teeth may be more prone to decay. To determine the overall risk of decay, our dentist will examine the shape of the grooves as well as the mouth as a whole.
Fissure sealants can vary in price depending on the materials used, and the cost ranges from $40 to $90 per tooth.
Fluoride varnish is an alternative treatment to fissure sealants. Fluoride varnish is a treatment that can help prevent or slow tooth decay. It is made with fluoride, which strengthens tooth enamel. Dentists apply fluoride varnish on the top and sides of each tooth with a small brush. The varnish is sticky at first, but hardens upon contact with saliva. Unlike a fissure sealant, fluoride varnish is not intended to be permanent; it holds fluoride in close contact with the tooth for a short period of time, usually for 4 to 6 hours before being washed off by brushing. Fluoride is absorbed into the tooth enamel during this time, offering protection. For fluoride treatment to be effective, the treatment must be repeated three to four times a year. Fluoride varnishes are mostly recommended for young children at high risk of developing cavities.
Take a proactive step towards protecting your child’s teeth from cavities. Schedule an appointment now for fissure sealant application and ensure a healthy smile for years to come.
Copyright Ⓒ 2024 Smiles In Currambine
Web Design & Digital Marketing by Skyward Digital
