Since your children do not always take the best care of their own teeth, you should speak to your children's dentist about having a dental sealant applied to their adult molars. A dental sealant can prevent dental decay on the chewing surfaces of molars.

Dental Sealant Basics

A dental sealant is a human-safe, liquid plastic product which is painted on your child's teeth. The dental sealant is applied to all of the chewing surfaces, and natural cracks, on your child's molars. Dental sealants are generally not applied to front teeth because they do not have a large enough chewing surface.

Once the dentist, from Village Family Dental for example, has applied the liquid sealant with a small brush, then the dental sealant needs to have a few minutes to cure and harden. 

Dental Sealant Effective Time Period

Dental sealants are made from a very hard plastic. Once hardened, the dental sealant will last for five to ten years on your child's teeth, with no intervention necessary.

In order to ensure that your child's teeth continue to be protected, your child's dentist will check the status of the dental sealant application when they do their yearly dental exams. If any of the sealant is damaged, or missing, then the dentist can very easily apply more sealant.

Care for Dental Sealant Protected Teeth

One of the most wonderful things about dental sealants, other than their excellent ability to prevent tooth decay, is that they do not need any special care.

In order to properly care for your child's teeth, once they have had the dental sealants applied, you should ensure that your child:

• brushes their teeth at least twice daily with a pea-sized dot of toothpaste
• uses a dental rinse, or mouthwash, after brushing
• flosses teeth daily with waxed dental floss

The dental sealants do not take the place of this regular dental care.

In addition to the above, you should also ensure that your child visits their dentist at least once every six months. This will allow the dentist to spot any dental problems early, and can potentially save your child from having dental pain in the future.

Conclusion

The absolute best thing you can do, to protect your children's emerging molars, is to have your children's dentist apply a dental sealant on the teeth. The dental sealant will help to prevent dental decay in your child's teeth, until your child is old enough to properly care for their own teeth on a daily basis.