How a Pediatric Dentist Can Help With Tooth Enamel Protection

A pediatric dentist can help with the enamel protection of your baby’s teeth. Professional dental cleanings and dental health education can provide a head start. Yet, when it comes to protecting the enamel, your pediatric dentist can do more than place a coating of fluoride on your child’s teeth. If you want to find out how a pediatric dentist can protect your child’s enamel, here are the details.

What dental sealants are

Molars are for chewing. The grooves, crevices, and pits of these teeth help chewing become more effective. These indentations also serve as traps for food particles and bacteria. Even with thorough brushing, some of the sugars still remain. That is why the pediatric dentist recommends dental sealants to protect the enamel of these teeth.

A dental sealant comes in liquid form. Its runny consistency makes it cover the grooves and crevices of teeth better. The pediatric dentist paints the liquid sealant on the child’s molars to shield them from tooth decay. Once the liquid sealant hardens, it bonds to the molars and hardens with some LED light. The hard barrier protects the tooth. Studies show that dental sealants reduce a child’s risk of developing cavities by 80%.

Applying dental sealants is not invasive at all. There is no need for any kind of numbing agent. The pediatric dentist will not drill or do anything that might cause pain. Dental implants will reduce the child’s risk of cavities. The active ingredient is medical-grade resin, similar to the material for dental fillings.

Why sealants are effective

The chewing surfaces of a child’s teeth always get in heavy contact with plaque, food particles, and bacteria. Dental sealants provide a shield over the molar surfaces. The hardened barrier prevents bacteria and food particles from entering the grooves. This makes the teeth easier to clean as well.

Dental sealants vs. fluoride

Most parents believe that fluoride toothpaste and fluoride treatments act the same way as dental sealants. Fluoride may be important in protecting a child’s teeth, but it is not a hard barrier that lasts. It needs a dental sealant to become more effective. Research shows that children who receive fluoride treatments with dental sealants have a 73% lower risk of developing cavities. Fluoride treatments strengthen and remineralize teeth. Dental sealants make the dental grooves and crevices impenetrable to food particles and bacteria.

How dental sealants improve dental health

A pediatric dentist applies dental sealants to help a child avoid tooth decay and cavities. This treatment is preventive. Complete protection can happen if a child receives dental sealants as soon as primary teeth and permanent teeth erupt. These sealants are not costly at all. Yet, it can save parents expensive corrective dental treatments for their children in the future.