About Dental Sealants for Kids

Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, daily oral care practices, and even tooth-care tyranny on the part of parents, tooth decay and cavities happen. This is why at Simcoe Kids Dental clinic we recommend dental sealants for kids.

Applied properly, child dental sealants have actually been proven to seal out tooth decay in kids between 6 and 14 years of age 100% effectively!

What is this molar magic? Quite simply, dental sealants for kids are a very thin, resinous coating which we carefully apply to the chewing surface of your child’s back teeth. And yes, they really are magical: sealants safeguard these teeth from cavities by sealing the pits and fissures with what amounts to a protective coating, stopping germs and food from causing any harm. They can actually help prevent unwanted tooth decay and cavities for years and years!

At Simcoe Kids Dental, we highly recommend that your child has them applied on new, permanent teeth as soon as they erupt. We can check tooth eruption progress during your regular visits and flag qualified teeth for child dental sealants as soon as they come in. We may even recommend sealants on baby teeth where we feel it will benefit your child’s oral health in the long-term.

Ultimately, child dental sealants can mean fewer unscheduled, unexpected trips to our dental clinic, and while we absolutely love seeing and treating your child, the less often we have to see them for dental emergencies such as cavities and decay, the happier we, you, and they are! It means we’re doing our job right and that your child’s teeth are on track for toothy grins all the way into old age.

THE FACTS

BENEFITS

Those back teeth (molars) that you find so tricky to brush and floss? Well, kids find them even trickier! Enter dental sealants: this protective coating shields those vulnerable cavity-prone areas from unwanted gunk, germs, plaque, and food buildup, thus shielding your child from cavities… and you and them from extra trips to the dentist. Here’s a fun fact to seal the deal in our case for child dental sealants: some studies show that school-age children that do not have sealants tend to have up to three times more problems with cavities than those that do get sealants.

PROCEDURE

This is one of those dental procedures which is actually incredibly simple, quick – and 100% painless. True story! The process? Clean, dry, paint, rinse, paint, dry, voilà! This procedure typically takes about 10-15 minutes, depending on the number of teeth being sealed, and is, in fact, so simple and quick it can even be done as part of a routine dental checkup and clean… most often without your child even noticing it’s being done! Now that’s something to smile about!

CANDIDATES for CHILD DENTAL SEALANTS

While dental sealants for kids are most often applied to new, permanent teeth as they erupt – generally between the ages of 6 and 14 – there are times where we may recommend sealants for baby teeth. If your baby’s teeth are particularly prone to decay (whatever the reason – genetics, illness at a young age, or some other cause), sealants can help ensure they stay healthy long enough to protect the proper spacing required for permanent teeth to grow in.

AFTERCARE

Following our dental sealant procedure, your child can eat right away and go back to normal oral care routines. Told you it was a simple, painless procedure! We will continue to monitor your child’s new magic shields at all regular visits for possible chipping or leakage, but with all things being equal, dental sealant aftercare is no different than your usual (excellent!) flossing and brushing routines. We do, however, recommend that you remove any hard, sticky, chewy foods (Ice isn’t nice! Gummies are for dummies!) from your child’s diet, as these do contribute to sealant failure.

LIFESPAN

Child dental sealants can are supported by the Canadian Dental Association and when properly applied by a dentist, they can last up to 10 years under normal wear and tear. Pediatric dentistry is all about caring for and protection your child’s teeth. Our team will monitor your child’s sealants at every regular visit to ensure they are safely in place and doing their job, and recommend replacement or repair when/if necessary.

The Simcoe Kids Dental Difference

At Simcoe Kids Dental clinic we take an already quick, easy, and painless procedure, and make it a happy one! Our thorough and thoughtful approach to all dental work, even the simple stuff, means that your child will have a dental happy visit, leaving our office happy, healthy, and with absolutely no qualms about returning for their next visit.

If you are interested in sealing out cavities for good, ask us about dental sealants for kids. Our team can get your child’s molars and premolars magicked in no time in our state-of-the-art kid’s dental clinic. Adding to the stress-free experience? We offer direct insurance billing as well as affordable dental financing options through PayBright.