Sealants

By age 19, tooth decay affects nearly 70 percent of all children. Left untreated, tooth decay, also known as cavities, may result in pain and infection.

One highly effective option to help prevent cavities is dental sealants – a thin plastic film painted on the chewing surface of teeth.


Dental sealants have been proven a safe and cost-efficient dental procedure for patients prone to cavities. Dental sealants are still underused, despite their advantages in averting tooth decay for an average of five to seven years. Studies show that many children are exceptional candidates for dental sealants. Parents should consider sealants as a preventive measure in their child's oral health.

Surveys show the majority of all cavities occur in the narrow pits and grooves of a child's newly erupted teeth because food particles and bacteria are not easily cleaned out. A risk assessment best determines if a child is a candidate for dental sealants.

Dental sealants act as a barrier to "seal-off" space between the tooth surface and any small food particles or bacteria that may otherwise cause a cavity in an "unsealed" tooth.

Paired with twice-daily brushing with a fluoridated toothpaste, a healthy diet and visiting the dentist twice a year to monitor the placed sealants are 100-percent effective in preventing cavities.

Remember that dental sealants do not protect against gum disease such as gingivitis, oral cancer or many common dental conditions. Regular dental checkups are vital to monitor overall oral health.

Early Childhood Caries

Is Your Child at Risk for Early Childhood Tooth Decay?

The average healthy adult visits the dentist twice a year. The average healthy 2-year-old has never been to the dentist. By kindergarten, 75 percent of children have never seen a dentist, yet dental decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease.

The culprit? A combination of misinformation about when a child should first visit the dentist, when a parent should start caring for a child's teeth and the frequent and long-term exposure of sugary liquids to a child's teeth. 


A child should first visit the dentist six months after the eruption of the first tooth. During this first exam, the dentist can teach parents the best way to guard against early childhood tooth decay by wiping down the teeth with a damp cloth after every feeding and remind parents to limit sugary beverages.

Frequent and long-term exposure of a child's teeth to sugary liquids is commonly called baby bottle tooth decay. Most parents are aware of baby bottle tooth decay but may not know that the long-term and regular consumption of sugary liquids in a bottle or cup puts children's growing teeth at increased risk for decay.

Unsweetened fruit juices and water are best for children to help promote oral and overall health. Fruit juice causes tooth decay if children are allowed to hold a bottle, cup or box of juice in their mouth through the day. If left untreated, baby bottle tooth decay can result in pain and infection. Baby teeth are important because they hold the place for permanent teeth and help guide them into correct position. Severely decayed teeth may need to be extracted, which could effect the development of permanent teeth, speech and chewing.

Caring for children's teeth beginning in infancy promotes good oral health care habits for a lifetime and increases the chances of a child maintaining healthy permanent teeth.

Tips for parents to decrease the risk of early childhood tooth decay:
• Wean a child from the bottle or breast by age 1.
• Use spill-proof cups as a transitional step in the development of children, not a long-term solution.
• Don't allow children to use spill-proof cups throughout the day. Save spill-proof cups for snack and mealtimes when increased salivary activity helps clean teeth.
• Drink sugary beverages through a straw. The best spill-proof cups to protect against decay are those with collapsible rubber straws.
• Introduce oral health care habits early.
• Wipe baby's gums with a damp cloth after every feeding.
• Introduce brushing with a soft-bristle brush and water when the first tooth appears.
• Parents can add a pea-sized dab of fluoridated toothpaste to the toothbrush by age 2

Child's First Dental Visit

Children experience many firsts: first tooth, first words, first step, first birthday and first haircut. Parents want to be prepared for every step of their child's new life experiences, including dental visits. Only parents willing to model positive attitudes should accompany their child on a dental visit.

Parents averse to their own dental visits may transmit negative messages to children before, during and after a dental treatment. Fearful parents can actually create a nervous and anxious child. Parents who are afraid of the dentist need to change their mindset.

Most children are not only comfortable but even curious during a first dental exam and cavity-filling procedures. However, a child may become problematic when the accompanying parent laces soothing messages with hints of fear or anxiety and relays incorrect assumptions about procedures.

Parents who feel their child is anxious about a dental visit should ask us if we could schedule a PRE -VISIT. We use pre-visits to alleviate any fear or anxiety by acclimating them to our office environment. We will walk the child around the office, show them the tools, allow them to sit in the chair and even demonstrate on a family member to help them become comfortable.

Parents' presence is support enough for the child. We emphasizes the importance of parental presence for the first exam and until the age of 4, for restorative treatments.

Pretreatment meetings with a dentist provide directions and guidelines for the parent if he or she wishes to accompany their child during treatment. Parents learn how to provide moral support and to maintain a low, calm voice. We suggest that the parent not "parrot" our requests but support us as the authority figure during procedures. It is also important for the same parent to accompany the child during each sequential visit to fill any cavities.

“A parent's positive presence during early dental visits will empower a child to a lifetime of positive dental experiences.”