Dental Sealants Coral Gables

Have you ever noticed how your back teeth have jagged surfaces? Unfortunately, the uneven edges on your molars are especially susceptible to accumulating bacteria and food particles, which can lead to tooth decay. While brushing and flossing remain the best way to keep your molars clean, Dr. Faustino Garcia and Dr. Oliver Mayoral recommend dental sealants to some of their patients as an extra safeguard. By keeping bacteria out of the crevices of your teeth, sealants can help you avoid more expensive dental procedures like fillings or root canals.

How Dental Sealants Work

Cleaning your molars is a difficult task due to all their crevices: even diligent brushers can easily miss spots. Sealants help by covering the jagged edges where food particles most often become trapped. Sealants are made of a plastic resin material that easily affixes to the tooth, smoothing out the rough edges.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Sealants?

Dental sealants are an especially popular treatment for children as soon as their adult (permanent) teeth come in. Because the enamel on kids’ teeth is not as strong, children’s teeth are more vulnerable to infection and decay. Sealants provide extra protection until the teeth become stronger.

Additionally, many adults choose dental sealants to improve their oral health. You should ask about sealants if you are prone to tooth decay or you want to be more proactive when it comes to your oral health.

Sealant Procedure Details

The procedure to apply dental sealants is painless and brief. To begin, Dr. Garcia or Dr. Mayoral cleans the teeth to ensure that all food plaque and bacteria are removed from the molars. Your dentist then dries the teeth and rubs an acid on them so that the teeth better accept the sealant. Finally, he coats the teeth with the sealant. This resin starts in an almost liquid-like state, but then an ultraviolet light hardens the resin so that it stays in place.

Sealants Recovery and Results

You may resume all normal activities immediately following your appointment, including eating. Your teeth may be sensitive after receiving sealants, but that sensitivity should fade within a matter of hours or days. You should not experience significant soreness.

Continue to brush and floss your teeth with sealants as you do your other teeth. Failing to brush and floss your molars only elevates their chance for decay, even with sealants on them.

Research by the American Dental Association finds that molars with sealants are about 80% less likely to develop cavities. Sealants are most effective in the two years after the sealants are added, but they can still offer protection for several years, even if not at maximum strength. You should periodically return to Garcia | Mayoral Dentistry for new sealants to continue protecting your back teeth.

Make an Appointment

If you or your child is interested in trying dental sealants to help avoid cavities, visit our talented dentists in Coral Gables, FL. Since sealants are much less expensive than a filling or root canal, many of our patients view dental sealants as a smart financial investment. For an appointment, please call (305) 444-4300.