Sealants. What you need to know for your health.

What is a dental sealant?

A dental sealant is a thin plastic coating applied to the back teeth. It protects teeth from decay. Sealants help prevent tiny pieces of food and bacteria from getting into crevices and grooves in the teeth. There are many areas on the tooth where brushing and flossing can’t get at the bacteria and food particles. Prevention of anything getting into the grooves can help the teeth stay healthy.

How is a dental sealant applied?

Applying a sealant takes a short amount of time, but it is important that many proper steps are carefully taken. Many offices utilize a minimal number of steps in the process. They just clean a tooth, apply a solution to help it adhere, apply the sealant and let it harden. With this minimal approach, the tooth has a greater risk of having an inadequate seal, and could harbor particles that decay the tooth.

At our office we use many additional steps above the standard of care in our sealant application including applying medical grade ozone to the tooth before application. Medical grade ozone dramatically improves outcomes in all of dentistry, including sealants, because the ozone kills all bacteria in the grooves and fissures safely, and it increase the bond strength of the sealant. You can be sure there isn’t anything remaining on your tooth to cause decay once the sealant is placed.

Can you get cavities under a sealant?

There have been numerous research articles regarding the risk of forming cavities under sealants. Not every dental office is extremely thorough in their sealant application, so those sealants may have a higher risk of microleakage. At our office we use many additional steps in our sealant application, including adding an extra bonding agent, and applying medical grade ozone to the tooth before application. Because we take the extra time to use multiple steps and proper isolation techniques, we have vastly improved outcomes.

If sealants are applied in a very thoughtful way, and the practitioner takes the time to use proper isolation and proper hygienic clean up after application, then the benefits outweigh the risks.

Do sealants have plastic that contains BPA?

Many sealants have BPA in them, or ingredients in them that convert to BPA at the surface layer.

At our office, we provide sealants and composites that do not have BPA.

We will take the time to help you weigh the pros and cons of each option so that you can make the best possible decision for your family.