Every tooth in your smile has a job to do. In the case of your back teeth, which are called your molars and premolars, that job is to chew your food to make it easier for your body to digest. To do that, your back teeth have some special equipment called cusps, which are the ridges on the chewing surfaces. Those cusps make your molar’s job easier, but they also give plaque, bacteria, and food particles extra places to hide and cause cavities. To make matters worse, your brush may not be able to reach as far into those areas as necessary.
To keep cavities out of your back teeth, your dentist may place sealants on them. To place a dental sealant on your tooth, the dentist will clean it and dry it, and then treat it with a very mild acid solution to rough up the surface of your tooth, which will make it easier for the sealant to adhere to it. The dentist will then apply the sealant, which is a liquid resin to your teeth. The dentist may cure it with a special light or allow it to harden on its own.
Your sealant should last about 10 years. However, the sealant only protects the chewing surfaces of your teeth, so you will still need to brush and floss, and see your dentist for your regular appointments. In most cases, sealants are used for children and teenagers, since they are more prone to cavities than adults. But adults who have a tendency toward more cavities may also be candidates for sealants.
If you live in the Bryan, Texas, area and would like to find out if dental sealants would be a good idea for your child, or even for yourself, our dentist, Dr. David Sun would be happy to see you. To make an appointment at MajorSmiles, call 979-776-6600 today.