{"id":10257,"date":"2016-07-07T08:15:26","date_gmt":"2016-07-07T15:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.westgatedentalcare.net\/?p=10257"},"modified":"2026-01-08T19:38:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T19:38:15","slug":"dental-sealants-can-protect-childs-teeth-hygiene-dentist-pediatric-tooth-decay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.westgatedentalcare.net\/blog\/2016\/07\/07\/dental-sealants-can-protect-childs-teeth-hygiene-dentist-pediatric-tooth-decay\/","title":{"rendered":"How Dental Sealants Can Protect Your Child\u2019s Teeth"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.westgatedentalcare.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/ac24bfeb-fdd0-4ae7-ab59-82a86056bc71-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"ac24bfeb-fdd0-4ae7-ab59-82a86056bc71\" class=\"wp-image-10258\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>DID YOU KNOW<\/strong>, on average, a child smiles around 400 times per day? That\u2019s up to\u00a0<strong>ten times more than the average adult<\/strong>! No matter how many times your little one smiles, we want to help them make sure theirs remains healthy throughout their childhood. One way to protect your child\u2019s pearly whites is by applying\u00a0<strong>dental sealants<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Dental Sealants Protect Teeth From Tooth Decay<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A dental sealant\u2014also known as a pit and fissure sealant\u2014is a protective barrier placed on the chewing surfaces of teeth in order to seal out food and bacteria which result in cavities. These sealants are often made of a plastic-like material and applied in a thin layer to fill hard-to-clean recesses in teeth known as&nbsp;<strong>fissures<\/strong>&nbsp;in the premolars and molars, and<strong>cingulum pits<\/strong>&nbsp;found in canines and incisors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Application Of Dental Sealants Is Quick And Easy!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The application of sealants is a quick and comfortable process, and usually only takes one visit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>First, the surface of your child\u2019s teeth are polished and cleaned of any plaque or food debris.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Next, each tooth receiving sealants will be isolated and dried.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The teeth are then etched to allow the sealant to adhere more securely and then rinsed and dried to prepare for the sealant application.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The sealant is then applied to each tooth and cured by a special light to bond the sealant to the teeth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Finally the new sealants will be evaluated and once hardened, will be safe to chew on!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dental Sealants for Children\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yy_gl0vwKT8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>When Should Your Child Get Sealants?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Children should get dental sealants&nbsp;<strong>as soon as possible after their permanent teeth erupt<\/strong>. This happens at a different time in each child\u2019s life, but most children have all of their permanent teeth around the age of 6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Children often develop dental caries (cavities) in the pits and fissures of these new permanent teeth because they can be very difficult to clean,<strong>even if they are brushing and flossing properly<\/strong>. If sealants are applied soon after permanent teeth erupt, food and bacteria don\u2019t have the chance to settle in these crevices and your child child can reduce their chance of cavities by&nbsp;<strong>80 percent<\/strong>. Studies show that sealants can remain effective for many years if properly cared for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>We Can Help Protect Your Child\u2019s Smile<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Each and every smile is precious, and we are committed to ensuring your child\u2019s remains happy and healthy as they continue to grow. If you have any questions about dental sealants, let us know in the comments below or call and make an appointment today! We\u2019d love to answer any questions you might have about your family\u2019s oral health care needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thank you for continuing to be part of our practice family!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.&nbsp;Top image by Flickr user&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/dlytle\/8605039818\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">davitydave<\/a>&nbsp;used under&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license<\/a>. Image cropped and modified from original.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DID YOU KNOW, on average, a child smiles around 400 times per day? That\u2019s up to\u00a0ten times more than the average adult! No matter how many times your little one smiles, we want to help them make sure theirs remains healthy throughout their childhood. One way to protect your child\u2019s pearly whites is by applying\u00a0dental [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How Dental Sealants Can Protect Your Child\u2019s Teeth - Westgate Dental Care Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Looking for an easy way to reduce your child&#039;s risk of getting cavities? 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