When your child is still learning to clean their entire smile, they can have a hard time reaching back their molars when brushing and flossing. This can make them more likely to receive cavities there than on their front teeth they can more easily reach. To offer additional protection until they develop the dexterity to fully brush their back teeth, we can place a set of dental sealants. Sealants create a physical barrier to prevent debris and bacteria from sticking to their little teeth and eroding the enamel beneath.
At your Shirley, NY orthodontist and pediatric dentist, we look forward to helping protect your little one’s smile as they grow into adolescence. This can require a little added help to prevent cavities until they can fully clean their smile in between routine checkups. Because cavities can harm the alignment of their bite, we stress maintaining healthy baby teeth until they are naturally ready to fall out.
When Tooth Decay Takes Hold Of Baby Teeth
Children are no strangers when it comes to loving sugary drinks and snacks. When they enjoy these products or other starchy foods, they can quickly develop cavities if they do not properly clean their little smiles each day. As oral bacteria feed on sugar and starch, they produce an acidic waste product that wears away at the protective enamel on the surface of their teeth. Eventually, this damage forms a permanent hole, destroying healthy material and opening the inside of the tooth to potential infection. While we can restore their tooth when this happens, we would prefer to prevent decay from occurring in the first place. For this reason, we offer additional protection against tooth decay for kids until they can fully brush and floss their smiles. By placing dental sealants on the back teeth, they can prevent plaque and tartar from sticking to hard-to-reach molars.
The Benefit Of A Dental Sealant
While your child may brush their teeth each day and evening, it can be hard to tell if they are regularly reaching their molars until they come in for their semiannual checkup. During the examination portion, we can see if plaque or tartar is accumulating on the back teeth due to a lack of brushing. When this occurs, we can place a protective layer to create a physical barrier between these teeth and plaque. Your child can continue to brush and floss regularly with the additional protection of their sealants. Over many years, the layer will gradually dissolve, requiring no additional service to remove them from their teeth.
Talk To Your Shirley, NY, Orthodontist and Pediatric Dentist About Dental Sealants For Your Child
When your child attends regular dental checkups, we can examine their smiles to determine if they need a little extra help. To find out more about preventing tooth decay with this preventive treatment option, please contact Shirley Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry in Shirley, NY, by calling (631) 399-1600.
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