How Good Are Dental Sealants for Adults

Dental sealants are commonly used for providing safety against tooth decay and cavities. Children and young adults are believed to be the common recipients of dental sealants. But you may wonder how good the dental sealants can be for adults. Is there any benefit that older adults can get from dental sealants? It is a worse discussing topic.

What is dental sealant?

Dental sealant is mainly a barrier which tends to keep the harmful bacteria from damaging tooth enamel in the pits and fissures on the chewing surface of the teeth. It is mainly a plastic material which is painted on the surface and it hardens pretty quickly.

When you brush your teeth, it could be pretty difficult for you to make the toothbrush’s bristles to reach and clean the pits and fissures of the teeth. And the areas which remain unreachable are more prone against plaque, cavities and other dental health conditions. If you cover these areas with dental sealant, you can effectively prevent the said dental conditions.

Application of sealant

Application of sealant is a painless and simple process.

• First, tooth area is cleaned well.
• After cleaning, an acidic gel is applied to the area in order to roughen up the surface. This roughened surface is quite capable to get hold of the sealant.
• Before the application of sealant, this gel is rinsed and washed. The tooth is dried in this process.
• After the tooth is dried well, sealant is applied on the surface. Special blue light is then used to harden the sealant material.

Reason dental sealants are helpful

Although dental sealants are generally used for providing dental safety to children, these sealants are also helpful for adult’s teeth. The risk for tooth decay is there for everyone regardless of age. Therefore, the application of sealants can be pretty much helpful in decreasing the risk of decay and cavities. With the help of sealants, you can prevent foods particles, plaque and bacteria from settling into the grooves and depressions on the chewing surface of teeth. In other words, application of sealant can be a great way of preventive maintenance. Good news is that this dental procedure is not costly. However, it can help in preventing the costly dental procedures in the future. However, you have to keep in mind that dental sealants are not permanent like other dental procedures. These are made to provide short-term benefits.

For further help, you can visit your dentist and if you are a right candidate for dental sealants.