Pediatric (child) Dentistry
Preservation of the primary teeth is essential for development of adult teeth. Sealant and effective oral hygiene are the first steps to a healthy smile.
Sealants
Because the teeth in the back of the mouth (molars and premolars) have numerous grooves and crevasses on their biting surfaces, certain areas of these teeth are often difficult to clean even with vigorous brushing – sealants are used to fill in these narrow grooves in a tooth that cannot be adequately cleaned with normal dental hygiene practices. Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that are applied to the grooves on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth where most tooth decay occurs in children and teens. Sealants protect the grooves chewing surfaces from tooth decay by preventing germs and food particles from entering these grooves. The first molars usually come into the mouth when a child is about six years old while second molars appear at about age 12. It is best if the sealant is applied soon after the teeth have erupted, before they have a chance to decay.