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If you’re a parent, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about the benefits of dental sealants. These smooth coatings make it harder for bacteria to get stuck in your child’s teeth, reducing their risk of cavities.
One question parents often have for pediatric dentists Staci Brunell, DMD, and Priyanka Patel, DMD, from Yorktown Pediatric Dentistry in Yorktown Heights, New York, is what age children should get sealants. Our team recommends your child get sealants as soon as possible, even while they still have baby teeth.
Discover 3 reasons to consider getting sealants on your child’s baby teeth.
If you’ve been thinking about getting sealants for your young child, these are the top three reasons to schedule the appointment before they get permanent teeth.
Adult teeth can come in as late as 12, so your child has baby teeth for many years beyond infancy. Although they eventually fall out in favor of permanent adult teeth, baby teeth are still extremely important.
Baby teeth prepare your child’s mouth for eventually growing permanent teeth. They help maintain the correct spacing and alignment for adult teeth by staying in place until it’s time for them to fall out.
If your child develops cavities, which they’re more likely to get without sealants, they’re more likely to have teeth fall out or need to be extracted before they’re ready to fall out. This can make it harder for permanent teeth to grow correctly, increasing your child’s risk of needing orthodontics and other dental work when they’re older.
Cavities can also cause tooth decay and infections that spread to their gums and jaw. That can negatively impact your child’s oral health in the future when their permanent teeth come in.
If your child doesn’t have dental sealants on baby teeth, they’re more likely to develop cavities. Smaller cavities can be treated with dental fillings, while a more serious cavity can require an extraction, root canal, and even antibiotics if the infection has spread.
All of these procedures can be uncomfortable, especially for young children, and require lying still for long periods. Some young children might need to undergo general anesthesia for long, complicated dental work.
On the other hand, getting dental sealants is a painless and quick procedure that reduces your child’s risk of later discomfort.
Along with being unpleasant for your child, dental work can get expensive, with the price increasing for more complicated procedures. Getting dental sealants once is easier on your wallet than most non-routine dental procedures.
In addition, most dental insurance plans cover the full cost of sealants for children under 18.
Your child can get dental sealants when their premolars and molars grow. These are the teeth that have grooves in them that can catch debris and bacteria without sealants.
The process for getting dental sealants is simple, not painful, and can be successfully performed on young children. Our team is experienced in supporting children through dental procedures and specializes in using non-sedative techniques to relax your child.
Contact us to make an appointment to determine if sealants are right for your child.
