Teeth sealants are plastic resins that are bonded onto the chewing surfaces of a patient's molars to prevent tooth decay. This is a vital type of preventive dentistry because the chewing surfaces on a patient's molars are actually the most likely place where a patient will develop cavities - especially in the case of children. The reason why these tend to be such cavity-prone areas is because the chewing surfaces on these teeth have grooves where food particles can often get trapped. When food gets trapped in these chewing surfaces, they're not always easy to remove through regular brushing and rinsing. If these food particles are pressed against the tooth enamel for a prolonged period of time, it can lead to the development of decay. When sealants are applied, they'll smooth out the grooves on the teeth to prevent that from happening.

How Teeth Sealants Are Applied

Having a sealant applied is a simple and painless procedure that can be completed in one visit to your Henrico cosmetic dentist.

First, the cosmetic dentist will thoroughly clean the molars and prepare them.
After that, the sealant will be painted onto the intended teeth. Some sealants are actually bright pink in order to help the dentist make sure that all of the grooves have been covered. When it dries, it'll blend back into the tooth's natural color.
When all of the desired teeth have been coated, the sealant will then either be left to self-harden or the cosmetic dentist will use a blue spectrum natural light that will harden the sealant.

Benefits of Teeth Sealants

Teeth sealants offer many different benefits, including the following:

Sealants will give you a much better chance of preventing tooth decay.
The tooth surfaces that have these sealants will also be less likely to contain plaque.
Teeth sealants will make brushing your teeth much easier.
For children, the application of sealants while permanent teeth come in can help ensure that no cavities will begin to form in a child's newly-erupted teeth.
Teeth sealants are capable of providing protection for your teeth for about five years.

Visit Your Short Pump, Richmond, and Glen Allen Cosmetic Dentist!

Short Pump Dental is proud to be your premier choice when you're looking for a cosmetic dentist. We offer a wide variety of efficient dental treatments to make sure that the dental health of you and your family are at their optimal level. If you're interested in our sealants or any of our other great treatments and you're in or around Short Pump, Richmond, or Glen Allen, we encourage you to come visit us. To schedule an appointment with your Henrico dentist, you can give us a call at (804) 747-0116 or fill out our online appointment request form. We hope to see you soon!