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Phone: 989-773-3560

900 E Bellows St, Mt Pleasant, MI 48858


 

Blog

The Pits and the Pendulum

Posted in Dental Sealants | July 30, 2016

dental sealantPits are the pits, to be less than creative in word diversity. Think about it. Who likes their armpits? And when life is the “pits” there’s not much fun happening. Pits in peaches and avocadoes? All they do is get in the way. And what about Poe’s pit in the Pit and the Pendulum? Creepy.

All of those pits, however, pale in comparison to what pits in your molars can do to your teeth. Those pits are little devils that harbor bits of food that, if they do a good enough job hiding, can then start the unfortunate process of tooth decay. The problem is that no matter how diligent you are with your trusty toothbrush, you can’t get down in those pits. And that’s the pits.

That’s where sealants from Dr. Egger come in.

What are sealants?

One way to think of dental sealants is equating them with summer roadwork in Michigan. When we’re on our way to the U.P. or the nearest lake, we’re likely to run into road crews either repaving or simply filling potholes with asphalt. Sealants do a similar job; they fill the potholes in our molars. Dr. Egger uses a strong resin or glass ionomer that is painted onto the chewing surfaces of the molars. The sealant is cured with a special light and fills in the depressions and grooves in the molars, bonding to the teeth and forming a protective shield on those teeth. Now, food can’t get down into the pits and attract bacteria.

Who needs sealants?

Dr. Egger recommends that children and teenagers with even moderate grooves in their teeth should get sealants. The reason for this is simple prevention. The ages from 6 to 14 are the most cavity-prone years and sealants can head off some of these potential cavities. Adults can also get sealants on their molars that haven’t developed any decay and are without fillings.

How are sealants applied?

Applying sealants is simple.

  1. First, the teeth are thoroughly cleaned.
  2. Each tooth to be sealed is dried.
  3. An acid solution is put on the chewing surface of each molar to create a rougher surface for the sealant to bond to.
  4. This is then rinsed and the teeth again dried.
  5. Sealant is painted onto the tooth and a curing light is used to harden the sealant.

How long do sealants last?

Sealants usually last 10 years or so, but they can last far longer. The important thing is to have them on the teeth during the cavity prone years.

Dr. Egger is a big fan of sealants, as they provide awesome preventative care, especially for developing teeth. Call us at 989-773-3560 for your next appointment.


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