Dental Sealants

Cavities are pieces of rotten tooth cause d by your enamel wearing away and letting bacteria inside your tooth. But say you were to put a plastic covering over the weak spots in your enamel? That’s the idea behind dental sealants. Basically, wherever your enamel is worn away or your teeth grind against each other the most, your dentist will paint on a plastic coating. The goal is to prevent cavities and save you the money and the hassle of fillings.

The Process:
1. The very first step is to get the desired tooth cleaned. Your dentist will be sure to floss and polish the tooth.
2. Next, they will put a tooth colored gel over the area wanted to be sealed. The point is to fill in the hard to reach little cracks and crevices in the top of your teeth.
3. Now they will put the actual sealant over the gel. It is generally an off white and is meant to match your teeth to be virtually invisible.
4. Lastly, your dentist will “set” the sealant, similarly to how you would get a filling hardened, with a special light.

The Cost: From what we have read, the cost is around $40 to $45 per tooth. This seems slightly expensive but compare to a filling which can cost you around $90 per tooth.

More about Dental Sealants: Usually they will be put on your permanent teeth since your baby teeth will just be falling out anyway. Also this procedure can be done with almost any age person, from child to adult. It is a very quick process and there is little to no difference in your bite after you have the procedure. These sealants can last up to 10 years but you should realistically expect them to last maybe four years. The only downside is your teeth feeling different when you run your tongue along them! Here is an informative video on dental sealants.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP9NoU1NHE0

Sealants are an effective way to stop cavities before they happen or prevent cavities from even occurring. Both of us have had them and the process is quick and painless!

-Erik and Amanda