Preventing Children’s Cavities With Dental Sealants
If possible, we want to help your children avoid cavities, with in-office treatments and better oral hygiene habits at home. To do so, we can use special treatment options to keep teeth strong. With dental sealants, your Dallas, TX, pediatric dentist can help prevent cavities from forming in the hard-to-reach rear teeth.
How Kids Develop A Cavity
When children don’t brush and floss their teeth daily, this allows food particles from their meals and beverages, especially those high in sugar, to be left behind for bacteria to consume. In the process, oral acidity rises and the teeth become coated in a layer of plaque, which harden over time into tartar. Once plaque forms, it can only be removed with a professional cleaning, but in the meantime the buildup weakens and erodes the outer enamel to cause tooth decay. An injury that cracks or chips a tooth could also be a cause, as this exposes inner tissues to harmful bacteria. Unless treated, this could lead to sensitive teeth, toothaches, and even an infection that threatens the stability of the smile. Losing a tooth to decay could also impact overall alignment as well.
Safeguarding Teeth with Dental Sealants
For many children, there is difficulty reaching the rear teeth when brushing and flossing, as dexterity is often limited. As a result, even if your children clean their teeth properly the risk of cavities is always present. However, for kids with issues reaching these teeth or high-risk factors for cavities, we could place dental sealants. An acrylic coating is added to the rear teeth, a process that only takes a few minutes. The sealants prevent food particles from clinging to the teeth or becoming stuck between them. The chances of a cavity developing is reduced, and the sealants could stay in place for up to 10 years in some cases, wearing away gradually with time.
Other Preventive Possibilities
In addition to sealants, when your children see us every six months we will clean the teeth, removing all plaque and tartar from the surfaces of their smiles. During the same visit, we can also provide a fluoride varnish to the teeth, using the naturally-occurring mineral to strengthen the outer enamel and make a cavity less likely. Our team could also discuss better home hygiene habits and snack options to help keep little smiles strong.
If you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule a visit for your child, then contact our team today to learn more.
Pediatric Dental Care At Casa Linda Protects Teeth From Tooth Decay!
We offer a number of options to help protect little teeth from the impact of tooth decay or dental infection. For more information on how we treat cavities or prevent them, then call our Dallas, TX pediatric dentist’s office today at 214-321-4880!
filed under: Children's Dental Services