What is a sealant?
A dental sealant is the process by which we place a very small layer of bonding material into the grooves of an adult tooth. While any tooth could technically be sealed, we primarily use sealants for upper and lower first molars.
At what age should sealants be placed?
We most often place sealants in children who are 5-7 years old, as this is the age where the first molars tend to erupt. We seal these molars because they are the teeth that will be in the person's mouth the longest, and as such it's important to protect these teeth from decay early on. Adults who have a high rate of cavities can also have sealants placed, but it's much more common to use sealants in children.
Does it hurt to have a sealant placed?
No. We will roughen the grooves in the tooth to improve bonding, but we rarely need to use local anesthetic for the procedure.
Do all new molars need sealants?
Whether or not a tooth should be sealed depends upon a number of factors, including the child's cavity rate, oral hygiene and the depth of the grooves. If a tooth has very shallow grooves, then sealants are less important vs. teeth that have very deep grooves that will tend to capture and trap food debris and bacteria.
