Should You Consider Getting Dental Sealants as an Adult?
Posted on 2/22/2021 by OM
While sealants are often recommended for children, they can also aid in cavity prevention for adults. If you tend to get more cavities, you may want to consider the application of sealants.
Why You Should Consider Sealants
In teeth that have not been filled, sealants can serve as a boon to adult dental health. Plus, it only costs about $30 to $50 to add a sealant versus spending the money on a filling. Therefore, paying for sealants is well worth the cost, especially if they prevent the need for future fillings or dental work.
What Types of Sealants Are Used?
Sealants are offered in 2 formulas. One type of sealant, a resin, is a popular application, as it does not cure or harden until we use a curing lamp. This gives us more time to target a tooth's surfaces. The other sealant that is used is known as an auto-polymerizing sealant. This application is more difficult, as the sealant is self-curing. While an auto-polymerizing sealant must be applied quickly before it cures, we need fewer tools to apply it. Regardless of the sealant used, both are effective in preventing tooth decay.
What Teeth Should Be Sealed?
Sealants are meant to seal teeth that have more crevices and grooves, such as the grinding or chewing surfaces of premolars and molars. Therefore, sealants are applied to these teeth, as their surfaces more easily capture food particles and residue. As a result, teeth with tiny grooves and fissures are at an increased risk for decay. Normally, sealants are applied to the teeth of younger adults, as the teeth of older adults are normally filled or worn down. Therefore, they are not in pristine condition.
Plaque, the pressure of biting down, and hard-to-clean grooves prove to be the ideal recipe for the formation of plaque and decay. To prevent further decay, you may be the right candidate for sealants. Contact us today for further details.
Smile More Spokane Family Dentistry, 9671 North Nevada St. ste. 200, Spokane, WA 99218-1146 ^ (509) 505-6303 ^ spokanefamilydentistry.com ^ 12/11/2024 ^ Associated Words: dentist Spokane WA ^