Dental Sealants for Prevention of Cavities

If you could use a tiny paint brush to help protect your child’s tooth from getting a cavity, you would, wouldn’t you?  That is how simple it is for Dr. Booth and our Dental Hygienists to apply a dental sealant. 

Okay, there is a little more to it than just painting, but the great developments in modern dental materials make it feel that easy!   

Dental sealant material is made up of a specially formulated dental  resin designed to adhere to tooth enamel and fill in the tiny grooves and pits on the chewing surface of teeth.  Young molars and premolars are notorious for having deep crevices where bacteria love to hide; it is often impossible to clean these areas with normal tooth brushing.  Sealants create a smooth, cleansible surface that is easier for your child to take care of.

When your child’s permanent first molars are fully erupted, we will talk with you about dental sealants during our dental examination.  The procedure can usually be completed during the same visit:    

• We lightly polish the tooth to clean it and then apply the sealant material using an etch-adhesive bonding process.  There is no drilling or shots!

• Our special dental light hardens the material and Dr. Booth checks the sealant to make sure it does not interfere with normal biting and chewing.

We will check your child’s sealants at regular cleaning visits to make sure they are intact.  It is possible to crack the sealant material or dislodge it while eating sticky foods such as caramels or hard-crunchy foods like peanut brittle, or chewing ice (which is bad for teeth in general!)

Dental professionals and researchers have recommended sealants for years and most parents today have had dental sealants during their lifetime.  While no preventive treatment is a complete guarantee against dental disease, dental sealants have beaten the odds for decades.

Please Contact Us to learn more about preventive dental care in our Huntsville, AL dental office.  We would love to help you and your child have healthy, beautiful smiles!

And the Winner is… Clean Teeth!

We love sweets and goodies too!  When we enjoy the occasional sweet snack, we remember a few things to help keep our teeth healthy:

•  Dental cavities are caused by a scientific process that happens right in our own mouth – really!  Our mouth always contains bacteria which forms a film on our teeth called “Plaque”  - this is not a prize, but actually becomes a harmful foe when it combines with sugars or starches from foods  to produce acids that destroy tooth enamel and cause tooth decay.  Candy is one of the foods that fuels the plaque bacteria, but even bread and milk can be used by these nasty germs to complete their science experiment on your teeth!

• Did you know that saliva is a hero?  Our own saliva contains minerals that slow down this process and help fight tooth decay.  It works constantly to build a supply of helpful minerals.  We can help!  By drinking fluoridated water and brushing with fluoridated toothpaste, this helps provide reinforcement for the minerals that saliva needs.  
•  Not only does what we eat matter, WHEN we eat is part of the deal.  Saliva can’t fight the bacteria if we sip sodas and snack all day on sugary or starchy foods.  Even diet sodas contribute to acid levels!  If you are having candy or a soda, enjoy these with a meal to give your saliva time to rebuild itself between meals.
  
  
  
  
  
• Clean Teeth really do win!  By brushing and flossing 2-3 times a day, we can help keep the bacteria levels down in our mouth to reduce the formation of dental plaque.  
  
• Fluoride is a mineral that becomes part of the winning team and helps fight off acid attacks on teeth.  For very young children (under age 4), be sure to ask your pediatrician or Dr. Booth about the best way to give fluoride, it should not be swallowed.  For the rest of us kids, fluoride toothpaste and dental fluoride treatments at regular cleaning visits can help too.

So be a WINNER!  Keep those teeth shiny clean and don’t let your mouth be a science project for evil tooth acids!

General Dentist Dr. Doug Booth and the Cosmetic DentalCenter of Huntsville Team want all kids to have healthy, happy smiles.  Please Contact Us if you have questions about your child’s dental health, we are glad to help!

National Children’s Dental Health Month Fun & Informative Web Sites

Check out these great sites for information and some cool ideas to help spread the word about children’s dental health: 

2MIN2X.org

The American Ad Council® and the Partnership for Health Mouths, Healthy Lives has created a kid-friendly web site with videos to entertain you and teach you about brushing 2 minutes, 2 times a day.  They even have an “App” and text reminders about dental health to make brushing extra fun!

2MIN2X.org
http://www.2min2x.org/
 

Colgate®

We love this video from Colgate Oral and Dental Health Resource Center®  – the special effects are cool!

 “No More Nasties: Brushing for Kids!”  Colgate® Video Library
http://www.colgate.com/app/CP/US/EN/OC/Information/Video-Library.cvsp#maincontent
  
And,  they have Dental Games!
http://www.colgate.com/app/BrightSmilesBrightFutures/US/EN/Program-Materials/Kids-Games/Games.cvsp

MouthHealthyKids.org

The American Dental Association® has a special web site for children and teachers, featuring fun videos, activity sheets and online games for all ages.  

Mouthhealthykids.org

http://www.mouthhealthykids.org/en/

The National Institutes of Health has a health library with great information about children's dental health and other health topics, MedlinePlus®:

Medline Plus

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childdentalhealth.html