Hello, Dr. Virginia Ellis over here at Virginia H. Ellis, DDS Dental Corp. Today I am going to be answering questions about sealants. We get a lot of questions about sealants and I'll give you a better understanding of this topic.
What are sealants?
Sealants are basically dental protective white coatings that go on top of the grooves of back teeth. A lot of people can get cavities on these grooves because it's easy for food and bacteria to get trapped and it's hard to get that out with a toothbrush. So what we do in dentistry—I'm going to show you right over here, I got the light glaring—so basically what we do is we put a white liquid covering in here, we let that set, and that gets covered. It prevents the bacteria and the food from trapping down and going into the inside of the tooth. There's a picture right here; you see this is the toothbrush here and here are the micro grooves. Here's where bacteria gets stuck and starts causing cavities, so that's what the dental sealants do. So yeah, just to answer that question, dental sealants work by sealing those grooves and preventing food and bacteria from getting trapped inside.
What are the different types of sealants?
Well, different types of sealants—there's some that are just composite, and some of them are called glass ionomers. So it just depends; every dentist can use a different type of white sealing material. Just ask your dentist to find out what he or she uses in his or her dental office.
How are dental sealants applied to teeth?
Basically five simple steps: you clean the tooth, then it's dried, often using cotton roll dry isolation. Then we put a micro-etch, like a micro-roughening agent, and then the sealant is placed. It's either cured with a special light or it self-cures. So basically, clean the tooth, isolate to dry it, micro-roughen it, place the sealant, set the sealant. That's all it basically takes. It's a simple procedure.
How soon can I brush my teeth after getting dental sealant?
It depends on the type of material that the doctor uses. For example, if you're using composite, like flowable composite that sets immediately, you can start brushing right away. But if we're using something like a glass ionomer, which is a special type of white material with special beads that take about anywhere between 24 to 48 hours to set, we'll generally tell the person not to chew hard food like croutons or pizza crust and not to brush that area hard for the next 24 to 48 hours.
How long do dental sealants protect my teeth?
It depends on many factors like your diet, how well it's placed, and how well you take care of your teeth. So diet, how well that sealant was placed, and how you take care of your teeth. If you don't brush your teeth, nothing's going to protect them, right? Not even the sealants. That's just a given. It's like your car, you don't take care of your car—if you drive a Lamborghini or a Toyota that's known to be reliable—you don't take care of it, it's going to break down. Same thing with your teeth; you don't take care of them even though they have great dental work, they'll break down.
Can dental sealants help with sensitive teeth?
They can, but not always because sometimes the cause of tooth sensitivity can be due to something like an exposed root, which is on the side of the tooth. If the source or the cause of the sensitivity of your tooth is not on the top of the teeth where we seal the area, that won't solve the problem. It can, but not always.
Can you get dental sealants if you have fillings or tooth decay?
No, because dental sealants are designed to be placed before a cavity grows. They are basically what is called preventative treatment. Preventative treatment is specifically designed to prevent or decrease the likelihood of developing cavities. So the answer to that is no.
How much does it cost to get a dental sealant applied to my teeth?
That question is going to be best answered by the financial coordinator or the person that handles the finances in the dental office because each case is going to be different depending on whether you're a cash patient or using insurance. A lot of times insurances have different coverages. Sometimes when you're a cash patient, the office can extend a professional courtesy fee for paying cash. It just depends. Ask the person at the front desk that handles the finances or the charges in your office, and that'll be the best way to know. It's definitely cheaper than a filling or a crown.
How can I schedule an appointment to have a dental sealant applied to my teeth?
It's very easy. Just call the office, come in, and let's double-check to make sure that before putting a dental sealant, you don't have a cavity or a filling already in there. If you still have any more questions or you're interested in coming in and getting those sealants placed, give us a call at (925) 272-2698 or you can easily download the application or get more information at OrindaDentist.com.
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