Why Are Dental Sealants Used?

As most people may already know, dental sealants are protective coatings for your teeth that are applied on the chewing surfaces of molars and premolars. Now, these sealants are used to address a number of dental problems.

One of the most obvious uses of sealants is the prevention of cavities. They are also used to treat teeth that have early symptoms of decay. Most dentists prefer using sealants only in children but adults may also get sealants. Apart from being highly useful in preventing cavities in the teeth, sealants are a cost-effective option that a dentist at Brighton Implant Clinic may put forward.

In young children, sealants are typically applied to baby molars for protecting the back teeth from cavities. As time goes on, baby molars fall out while the new, permanent molars start coming in. The new molars can be sealed as well.

Your dentist may recommend immediate application of sealants to each permanent molar, which can be done when your tooth is just partly erupted into the mouth. But, the application is only done when it seems possible to keep the tooth dry and saliva-free during the process. In case, a young child has increased chances of developing cavities, the dentist may consider sealing the premolars too.

Sealants aren’t only used in children but they can also be used in adults with more chances of cavity development. It is up to the dentist to decide whether sealants are appropriate to be used in a particular case or not.