Dental Sealants Near Me | Dental Sealant Treatment

Dental Sealants in Scottsdale, AZ

Following good oral hygiene helps keep your mouth and teeth healthy. However, all back teeth (molars and premolars) usually need extra care as leftover foods, and cavity-causing bacteria get packed into and stuck into the naturally occurring pits and grooves of the chewing surfaces. This is where dental sealants can help!

At Smile Arizona Dentistry in Scottsdale, we provide dental sealant services for the protection of your back teeth and molars from the hazards of tooth decay. We use only the most modern, undetectable, safe, and durable dental sealant solutions with a patient-convenient procedure. We also proudly serve the nearby local communities, including Tempe, Mesa, and Phoenix.

By having DENTAL SEALANTS, you will help PREVENT most biting surface decay! Preventive care costs less and is generally more comfortable.

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When Should You Get Dental Sealants?

As soon as a back tooth erupts enough in the mouth to isolate it (keep it dry during the procedure), kids are the most recommended candidates to receive dental sealants on their permanent molars and premolars to prevent cavities. However, adults and seniors who have deep grooves in their back teeth, infected or unfilled molars, and are clinically detected for risk of developing decay can get sealants.

You should get dental sealants if you have:

Molars
A new tooth
Soft teeth
Had decay in 2 or more teeth
Deep grooves that attract bacteria and plaque
An increased risk of developing cavities

Dental Sealant Procedure at Smile Arizona Dentistry

Dr. Beth Vander Schaaf and her team provide dental sealants, which are thin protective coverings made of plastic, which are applied on chewing surfaces of your teeth and then hardened for durability with a blue light. Dental sealants prevent the accumulation of bacteria and plaque that cause tooth decay, keeping your permanent teeth and molars strong and healthy, which are important for your dental health. With dental sealants, you can eat the foods you like without being as worried about tooth decay or infection.

Getting dental sealants at Smile Arizona Dentistry is a simple and pain-free process, which requires just a single visit. Our dental sealant procedure involves these steps:

Teeth Cleaning : First, our dental team will thoroughly clean your teeth that are about to be sealed. This will clean off the accumulation of leftover food particles or germs on the teeth and help sealants to properly stick onto the tooth. Cleaned teeth should be dried. To keep every tooth dry, our dentist will place the cotton or absorbent material around it.
Application of a Solution : Our dentists will prepare the surface for the best retention of the dental sealant. Our dentist will apply a blue gel solution to the chewing surface of your tooth to create a roughened surface. When the chewing surface becomes rough, sealants can quickly bond to the tooth. Cotton is used around your tooth to keep it dry.
Application of Dental Sealants : Our dentist then applies the dental sealant to the pits and grooves of your affected tooth. The sealant will require about 60 seconds with a blue light to harden. Sometimes, this strong blue light is used to accelerate the hardening process. Once the sealant is set, you can chew with your teeth normally.

There are different tooth sealants available, including resin-based sealants, glass ionomer sealants, and pits and fissure sealants. We use plastic resin sealants, as they are safe, clear, invisible, and durable. Request an appointment with our Scottsdale dental sealant provider to learn more.

Dental Sealants Follow-Up Care and Maintenance Tips

Dental sealants require scheduling 6-month check-up examinations with us so that we can monitor the sealants and touch them back up to perfection before they become less effective. The sealant check-up is completed with the routine dental hygiene examination.

Here are a few tips to take care of your dental sealants:

Avoid grinding your teeth.
Avoid chewy or sticky foods such as candies, dried fruits, fermentable carbohydrates (potato chips), never chew ice.
Follow good oral hygiene that includes brushing twice daily and flossing well at least once daily, drinking more water, and limiting poor food and drink choices to meal-time.
Use an antiseptic mouthwash to wash away the lingering food particles and bacteria.
Schedule regular 6-month dental examinations. EVERYONE, EVERY AGE AND WITH OR WITHOUT NATURAL TEETH should have an exam every six months. We will show you how we determine what interval you need a professional cleaning, which can be as often as every 3 months to six months for the healthiest of mouths. We, as your dental team, will evaluate your sealants during your routine 6-month examination.

Dental Sealants FAQs

You won't experience any noticeable difference after getting dental sealants, as they are very thin and fill in the pits and fissures of your teeth. Sometimes, a “thickness” can be felt for a short time after they are just applied. Sealants will wear in with time. (Fillings to NOT wear in to the bite.)

Usually, dental sealants last several years with good oral care and maintenance. However, your sealant may be damaged or cracked sooner if you frequently grind your teeth, wear a mouthguard, and chew hard or sticky foods. You should get your sealant replaced if it has cracks or damages that cannot be repaired.

Dental sealants do not contain BPA but contain compounds that could turn into BPA after being in contact with saliva. Dental sealants are safe, as the salivary BPA can be removed by a quick wipe and rinse. You can minimize the BPA exposure by wiping off the liquefied layer of sealants using pumice and rinsing the surface with water for 30 seconds right after the application of sealants.

An alternative to prevent teeth decay is fillings. They are used to restore your teeth to their normal appearance and function by filling in cavities. They are used in every tooth but most often in the back teeth, where the decay rate is higher.

Some insurance programs pay for dental sealants most typically for children up to age 12; for adults, it is not as typically a covered benefit. Dental sealants are an inexpensive optional preventive procedure that can save a lot of tooth structure and cost over the lifetime of a person.

When we recommend dental sealants, we know that we are potentially saving a tooth. Once a person needs a filling, the edges wear out on every filling we place. Each time we replace a filling, it takes a little more natural tooth structure away to clean up the margins.

Save your teeth and say “yes” if you are recommended a dental sealant! Inquire today if DENTAL SEALANTS are possible for you! Please call us at (480) 994-5225 .