Dental Sealants: Cavity Prevention for Groovy Teeth

Are Your Teeth Groovy?

We are not asking for the sake of that 70’s something, or to have you act out your best Saturday Night Fever pose, groovy teeth are not cool! When teeth form, they do not all form alike, they come in different shapes, sizes, shades and have surfaces that can be more prone to decay than others.

ALL TEETH ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL!

Some people’s teeth (especially their back teeth, a.k.a. molars) can have grooves, pits, fissures, and crevices on the chewing surfaces. These groove-like crevices on the biting surfaces can collect stain. If stain can get down to the base of the fissure, so can bacteria.

The American Dental Association has a picture of a cross-section of a tooth showing the base of a fissure and the width of it. It shows it under magnification. A single, yes just one, toothbrush fiber is also shown. The single bristle is larger than the groove. It clearly can not reach the bottom of the crevice. The base of the crevice is not cleansable, therefore, it is more likely to decay.

Cavity causing bacteria can reach the base of the fissure.

Plaque loves to get it’s groove on!

This is the #1 place children get cavities.

This is where Sealants are the best thing to happen to dentistry since the discovery of novacaine and dental sealants require NO NOVACAINE!

Now, that is a good reason to dance on over to your local Dentist’s office.

Dental sealants are applied to the chewing surfaces, filling the pits and fissures of the teeth. A sealant acts as a barrier. It protects the teeth from plaque and it’s acid by-products.

It is applied in a dental office to a clean, dry tooth. It flows into the crevice and is cured (hardened) with a special light. 3 easy steps that can prevent a lifetime of tooth problems!

The sealed tooth is easier to keep clean!

A dental sealant does not mean that a tooth will never get a cavity, but it does give the tooth a better chance of not getting a cavity. So if you want to start singing we suggest singing the tune “Staying Alive” because teeth that stay alive are cool and so are dental sealants!