After clearing up some of the common misconceptions about sealants in Part One of this series, we thought we’d share some of the evidence-based statistics on how effective they are. After all, even after learning that dental sealants in Rowlett are safe for your child, you don’t want to invest in a procedure that hasn’t been shown to work!
So keep reading to learn about how long sealants have been used and how you can be sure that they’re a reliable way to prevent cavities. You’ll feel great knowing that there’s a trustworthy dental procedure you can use to keep your children out of the dental chair as they get older!
How Long Have Sealants Been Used?
It’s easy to question how well a procedure works if it’s brand new. Thankfully, that’s not the case with dental sealants.
According to the Department of Health, sealants have been around for over 40 years. In that time, dentists and researchers have been able to gather a lot of information about how effective they are!
Not only that, but the methods and materials used for any type of medical or dental treatment only improve over time – and sealants are no exception. In recent years they’ve become better than ever.
What Do the Studies Show?
Sealants have been studied extensively, so there’s quite a bit of evidence that they’re safe and effective.
Here are some of the results that researchers have found:
- A study in The Journal of the American Dental Association found that permanent molars with sealants get 80% fewer cavities than molars without sealants.
- In 2016, the Center for Disease Control found that only 43% of children in school have sealants. Furthermore, they determined that “school-age children without sealants have almost three times more cavities than children with sealants.”
- Both the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry concluded that sealants are not only effective in preventing and arresting cavities, but also in preventing small cavities from becoming larger ones.
Why Are Sealants So Effective?
Unfortunately, even with brushing and flossing, regular dental care and a healthy diet, cavity-causing bacteria can still get into the tiny grooves of the back teeth and cause decay. Sealants are so effective because they prevent that from happening.
By literally sealing over the pits and grooves of the molars and premolars, sealants protect the chewing surfaces from the bacteria and acids that would otherwise cause decay.
If you’ve ever taken your child to a children’s dentist in Rowlett to have cavities filled, you know it’s an experience that you’d both rather avoid. With dental sealants, you can!
About the Author
Having spent many years as a kids’ dentist in Rowlett, Dr. Tera Pollock has seen firsthand how effective dental sealants are. She always recommends them because she does fewer fillings on her patients with sealants than on patients without them. If you have any questions, she can be reached via her website or at (469) 284-8895.