Dental Sealants in Vancouver, BC
There is no such thing as a perfect world, even with technological assistance in the medical profession. Tooth decay and cavities are still an issue around the world. Your teeth are vulnerable to damage from the foods you eat and environmental and internal health concerns.
This means that brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing once daily may not be enough to keep your teeth healthy. Children and adults must learn better techniques to care for their teeth to keep them healthy for longer. That’s where dental sealants near you at My Dentist Vancouver come in!
What Are Dental Sealants?
Dental sealants consist of plastic coatings applied on teeth’s surfaces to protect them from harm caused by decay. Oral sealants in Vancouver, BC, are often placed on the tooth’s biting surfaces by our dentist in Vancouver, BC.
Their main purpose is to prevent plaque and food leftovers from becoming stuck in the ridges and depressions of the teeth. Back teeth, such as premolars and molars, are frequently treated with oral sealants. This is because the rear teeth have more depressions and are more involved in biting and chewing.
Are Dental Sealants Safe?
Our dentist near you at My Dentist Vancouver wants to ensure any medical intervention, especially involving children, is safe. Regarding the safety of dental sealants in Fraser Street, the biggest issue is BPA. It’s an artificial substance that’s typically found in plastics. A large dose of this chemical is lethal to humans in an ideal world.
Because dental sealants are made of plastic, certain residues of the synthetic component can be found in them. Given that you’ve had the sealants for a few years, it’s natural to be concerned about how much exposure you’ve had to the chemical.
With that said, various Dental Associations have determined that the quantity of BPA in oral sealants is quite low. They are completely safe to wear and used to keep bacteria and tartar away from your pearly whites!
FAQs
Dental sealants are ideally applied when the first permanent molars erupt around age six and again when second molars appear around age twelve. Applying sealants promptly at these developmental stages protects the deep grooves of back teeth before cavity-causing bacteria have any opportunity to establish themselves in those difficult-to-clean surfaces.
In certain clinical cases, sealants can be placed over early non-cavitated decay to halt its progression before a cavity fully forms. However, teeth with active cavities require a filling before sealing. Our team assesses each tooth individually and recommends the appropriate combination of treatments to protect your child’s dental health most effectively.
Dental sealants are tooth-coloured or clear and virtually invisible once applied to back molars. Most patients cannot feel the thin sealant layer during normal chewing. A minor bite adjustment may be made immediately after application to ensure complete comfort. There is no recovery period, and patients can eat normally the same day.
If a sealant chips or wears through, the exposed groove becomes vulnerable to cavity formation. Reapplication is quick and painless when caught early. Our dental team checks sealant integrity at every routine exam and reseals any areas showing wear or gaps before decay has an opportunity to develop beneath the compromised area.
Absolutely. A sealant costs a fraction of even the smallest cavity filling. Research consistently shows sealants reduce molar cavity risk by up to 80% in the years following application. For families paying partially out of pocket, the preventive investment in sealants saves significantly more in future dental treatment costs over a child’s lifetime.