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Sealants provide a thin coating over molars that can be a powerful tool to protect one’s teeth from decay. While they are most commonly used with children, sealants can also be placed on adult teeth that are prone to decay. Sealants form a protective shield to avoid costly and painful cavities or other forms of tooth decay later. It is a simple and painless solution that can be applied in a matter of minutes, right here at our Omaha, NE office.

What is tooth decay?

In order to understand why protecting against tooth decay is so important, it helps to understand how tooth decay   begins.. Our mouths are filled with germs and bacteria. Some of these bacteria can be helpful in breaking down the food we eat so it can be absorbed into our body. However, when we eat too much sugar or starchy foods, the bad bacteria can create excess acids which cause cavities and tooth decay.

Molars are prime sites for tooth decay because they have rough surfaces with lots of nooks and crannies where small food particles and germs find places to stay for extended periods of time. They are also hard to reach with a toothbrush and floss. This is why sealants are most often placed on molars.

Drs. Beninato, Larsen, Locke, and Bost regularly place sealants on children’s teeth soon after they erupt. Children grow their first permanent molar teeth between the ages of about five and seven, and they grow a second set of permanent molars between the ages of 11 and 14. Sealants placed on these teeth as soon as they grow in will be most effective in preventing tooth decay before it occurs.

Talk to any member of the Premier Dental team during your next visit to learn more about how dental sealants can help protect your child’s teeth.