All About Dental Sealants: Should Your Kid Get Them from a Dentist?

Dr. Justine Doan • Jun 08, 2015

Little Blin Rollins has a profound sweet tooth. According to his mother Amy, the boy chooses to drink juice instead of water, and doesn’t turn down almost any kind of sweet treat—from candies to chocolate and ‘gummy stuff’. The boy’s habit led the family dentist to recommend that the former get dental sealants on his permanent molars, in order to stifle tooth decay. What Blin’s mother didn’t know is that her son’s mouth is the subject of a long-standing debate in dentistry.

First off, what is dental sealant, anyway? Typically offered as a service by a local dentist serving areas such as San Diego, a dental sealant is a thin, plastic coating applied on the chewing surfaces of teeth (typically the back teeth, or premolars and molars in this case) in order to prevent tooth decay. A sealant is designed to quickly bond into the grooves and depressions of the teeth, which are somehow too small for toothbrush bristles to reach into, forming a protective shield over the teeth enamel.


Considering the tooth decay situation among American children (nearly 70 percent of kids in the U.S. are affected by dental decay by the time they’re 19), sealants are quite handy. That said, children are ‘perfect’ candidates for dental sealants by age 6 to 12, since this is when their premolars and molars start to erupt. The American Dental Association (ADA) vouches for the sealants’ longevity and effectiveness—if applied properly, sealants will last for several years completely sealing out food and plaque from tiny crevices where they can get trapped and subsequently develop.


Still, a number of concerned parties ask if dental sealants are actually safe for children. Such a query has been raised due to sealants typically containing the compound Bisphenol A (a.k.a. BPA, a resin used in various plastics like water bottles and metal food can liners. However, the ADA itself has gone on record to say that concerns about BPA is overblown—the actual amount of BPA in dental sealants is too low to be considered a significant health concern. BPA has also been found to form on the mouth after sealant application, but scrubbing and rinsing sealants after application can remove 88 to 95 percent of the substances which can become BPA.


Simply put, there’s nothing to fear about dental sealants on children’s teeth. Paired with sound oral hygiene practices (brushing twice a day and visiting a pediatric dentistry office twice a year to monitor sealant placement/bond), sealants are 100-percent effective in preventing cavities. Clinics which service the Poway area, such as A+ Family Dentistry, offer sealants for those interested in reaping their benefits.


Sources:

Decay Dilemma: Do Kids Need Dental Sealants? NBC News, May 4, 2012

Dental Health: Sealants, WebMD.com

Dental Sealants: Is My Child A Candidate? KnowYourTeeth.com

Dueling Docs: Are Dental Sealants Safe For Kids? Huffington Post, March 18, 2010

BPA From Dental Sealants, Fillings: Is It Safe? WebMD.com

Are Dental Sealants Safe For Kids? TheStir.CafeMom.com, November 6, 2014

DR. JUSTINE DOAN, DDS

General and Restorative Dentist

Dr. Justine Doan has considerable postgraduate training including a fellowship program and a year-long surgical externship in implantology. She was elected as one of the 40 Top Dentists Under 40 in the U.S. for 2015 by Incisal Edge magazine. Dr. Justene is a highly trained general dentist and focuses on dental implants and restorative cases.

DR. Janice DOAN, DDS

General and Cosmetic Dentist

Dr. Janice Doan practices general and cosmetic dentistry. Dr. Janice received her Doctor of Dental Science degree from the University of Southern California. Since graduating, she has completed a number of continuing education programs in a variety of subjects. Dr. Janice was named a Top 40 Under 40 dentist by Incisal Edge magazine in 2015.

DR. Roger Tran, DDS

General, COsmetic & Restorative Dentist

Dr. Roger Tran practices general, cosmetic and restorative dentistry. He graduated with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Southern California. Since graduating, he has received advanced training in many areas of dentistry. He has also volunteered through the Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center.

Find a Location

If you are looking to become a patient of A+ Family Dentistry you can start by searching our website for a location closest to you. We provide patients with and pride ourselves on Advanced Dental Technology, General, Family & Emergency Dentistry, Comfortable, Caring Treatment, Flexible, Non-Insurance Payment Options, Three Convenient Office Locations, and Cost-Saving New Patient Specials. Find a location and take advantage of our new patient special of $165 Exam, X-Ray, and Cleaning for the insured and non insured.

FIND A LOCATION
Share by: