How Long Do Dental Sealants Last?
Do you find yourself fighting your child every night just to brush and floss their teeth? Does it seem next to impossible to get them to take care of their teeth? Are you worried they are going to need a root canal or some other restorative dental procedure? While it can be challenging to encourage your child to brush and floss, there is something you can do to reduce the chances of them developing harmful tooth decay.
One common preventative dental treatment for kids is a dental sealant. Dental sealants are thin coatings of composite resin that are brushed onto the chewing surfaces of molars. Because molars are highly texturized and contain various pits and fissures, they are a common location for the development of dental decay in children. By applying a dental sealant to the molars, you effectively seal the tooth in order to prevent tooth decay.
Luckily, dental sealants are extremely easy to place. They are topically applied to the surface of your child’s teeth, are painless, and do not require the use of dental anesthetics or sedation. Additionally they can be placed quickly and in as little as a single dental appointment.
Once applied, dental sealants can remain on the tooth surface for up to nine years. However, the American Dental Association, as well as most dentists, recommend that a dental sealant be reapplied approximately every 2-4 years. This is because the ADA has conducted multiple research studies that find sealants are highly effective in the first two years after placement, and still decently effective during year 3 and 4. After the four-year mark, however, the rate of effectiveness of dental sealants drop significantly and will continue to drop every single year.
For this reason, your dentist will need to evaluate your child’s dental sealant every six months during their semi-annual dental check-up. Your child’s dentist will evaluate the sealant for signs of damage or wear that could indicate the need to replace a sealant. If your child’s sealant has become excessively worn or broken, it will need to be replaced to avoid a pulp infection.
To prevent your child from accidentally damaging their sealants, you will need to encourage them to avoid particular “damaging” behaviors. These can include, but are not limited to: Teeth grinding or clenching, nail biting, using their teeth to open packages, and chewing on ice, excessively hard foods, and/or toys. Additionally, you will need to stress to them that dental sealants are not a replacement for proper oral hygiene and explain that they still need to brush and floss. This establishes a routine early-on that will be much-needed later in life.
Overall, dental sealants are a highly effective and non-invasive way to reduce the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. On average, the majority of dental sealants can last for about four years before their effectiveness wears down and they should be replaced. However it is important to regularly take your child to regular dental appointments every six months so their sealant can be carefully monitored for possible damage. With dental sealants, you no longer need to worry about how well your children are brushing their teeth.
Sudden tooth pain, sensitivity to hot and cold, and tooth discoloration are all possible signs that you may need a root canal. Even if you don’t have any symptoms, your semi-annual dental checkup may indicate the beginning of a pulp infection. If your dentist detects a pulp infection, they will likely recommend that you get a root canal.
Root canal treatment, also known as root canal therapy, is an essential restorative procedure used to remove infected tissue from the inside of the tooth. If you are in need of a root canal, at this point you are probably wondering how a root canal is performed. Well, root canals are performed using a few different steps:
Step 1: Preparation
The first step to performing a root canal is to prepare you for the procedure. Your dentist will prepare you by using a dental anesthetic to numb the area. They may also offer you the choice of using dental sedation to keep you relaxed during the procedure. Dental sedation is ideal for patients who have an active gag reflex and/or dental anxiety. Once your mouth is numb and you are relaxed, then the next step can commence.
Step 2: Access
Unfortunately pulp infections occur inside the tooth. This means that your dentist will need to have access to the inside of your tooth. Using a dental drill, they will gently drill a small hole starting at the top of your tooth and moving down towards the pulp. Since you are numb, you should not be able to feel any pain, however you may feel pressure or vibrations.
Step 3: Remove the infection
Once your dentist has access to the pulp chamber, they will begin to remove all the decayed and infected tissue. They will completely clean out the inside of the pulp chamber and all the way down through the root canals. This ensures that the infection cannot continue to spread. After removing all the tissue, the remaining space will be flushed with a solution to clean the chamber and root canals.
Step 4: Restore the tooth
At this point, the inside of your tooth is completely hollow. To keep your tooth from collapsing in on itself, a rubber-like material called gutta percha is placed in this hollow space. In some cases, a supportive post may also be used. Finally, a dental crown is placed over the entire tooth in order to provide additional structural support and protect the tooth from being damaged or decayed.
Now that you know the four steps of how a root canal is performed, you are much more prepared for your root canal appointment. Knowing what to expect during a root canal makes the entire process easier and allows you to prepare yourself. Although root canals are not the greatest experience, they certainly are valuable procedures that will keep you smiling in the long run.
Dr. Claudia Wood completed her dental training at University of Detroit Mercy Dental School. She has worked in Detroit, Gross Point and Warren Michigan for two years. She returned home to Canada in 2006 where she worked with Dr. Trevor Mair in Scarborough from 2006 to 2011. Her clinical experience includes two years working at Detroit Receiving Hospital, one of the busiest hospitals in the U.S., and volunteering in Haiti in 2006 for 10 days.
Are there things about your smile that you just don’t like? Do you wish that you could fix them, but don’t want to devote a lot of time to cosmetic dental treatment? Are you looking for a way to fix several different things about your smile at once? If this sounds like you, then you may want to consider porcelain veneers.
Porcelain veneers are thin shells that are placed on the front of your teeth. You can choose to have veneers placed on a single tooth, all your visible teeth, or any number of teeth in between. No matter how many veneers you decide to have placed, they can usually all be placed in as little as two dental appointments.
During the first appointment your teeth will be prepared by removing a tiny amount of enamel to make room for the shell. Then a dental impression will be taken and sent to a dental lab to fabricate your veneers. During the second appointment, they will be adhered to your teeth. Once they have been applied, dental veneers can correct the following five things:
1. Size
One thing that can make your smile appear less than perfect are teeth that are not all the same size. Although the different types of teeth do vary in structure and size, they should all be relatively similar to look nice. Porcelain veneers are able to create a more even smile by correcting the size of the teeth so that they complement one another. Furthermore, veneers can also be used to correct teeth that appear to be too small because of a gummy smile.
2. Color
Have you tried professional teeth whitening to no avail? This may be because the types of stains on your teeth are either unable to be removed by whitening treatments. For example, stains caused by age may or may not be improved with whitening, and those caused by medications will simply continue while taking those medications. For these cases, having porcelain veneers placed can improve the color of your teeth.
3. Shape
Whether your teeth are oddly shaped or just not as contoured as you’d like them to be, porcelain veneers can help. Veneers can improve the contour of each tooth so that they have an overall more even and pleasing appearance.
4. Spacing
Whether your teeth have gaps between them or are so close that they slightly overlap, uneven spaces between teeth can impair the look of your smile. Veneers work especially well to eliminate gaps between teeth. In some cases, they can also be used to correct overlapping teeth. However, it depends on the extent of the overlap.
5. Alignment
Porcelain veneers are also able to help with alignment issues. To be clear, veneers will not alter the alignment of your teeth, however they can be used to cover up crooked teeth so that they appear to be properly aligned. In cases where the alignment problem is too severe, your dentist will likely recommend another treatment.
Overall, porcelain veneers can offer you a beautiful smile by fixing the size, color, shape, spacing, and alignment of your teeth. It is also possible to achieve this smile with a conservative procedure that takes as little as two dental appointments. If porcelain veneers sound like an ideal cosmetic dental treatment for you, then the final question is: what are you waiting for?
Dr. Claudia Wood
Dr. Claudia Wood completed her dental training at University of Detroit Mercy Dental School. She has worked in Detroit, Gross Point and Warren Michigan for two years. She returned home to Canada in 2006 where she worked with Dr. Trevor Mair in Scarborough from 2006 to 2011.
Her clinical experience includes two years working at Detroit Receiving Hospital, one of the busiest hospitals in the U.S., and volunteering in Haiti in 2006 for 10 days.
Taking good care of your teeth and preventing dental issues is the best method for maintaining oral health. Because of this, general dentists actively promote preventative cleanings, checkups, and healthy home care routines. Most people recognize the benefits associated with these types of preventative surfaces and do their best to maintain these cleanings, checkups, and daily hygiene habits.
However, fewer people are aware of another common preventative dental treatment called dental sealants. To help you learn more about dental sealants are and how they are used to benefit patients, here are five essential facts about dental sealants:
1. Seal the Tooth
Just as their name suggests, dental sealants can effectively seal the tooth in order to protect it from damage. They are most commonly applied to the highly textured chewing surfaces of molars. Once painted over the tooth, they are hardened in place to act as a barrier between the tooth enamel and plaque. This prevents plaque from accumulating in this hard to reach place and decreases the chances of developing tooth decay.
2. Prevents Cavities
Dental sealants have been found to be highly effective at preventing cavities when applied to the molars. In the first two years after application, dental sealants have been found by both the American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce the risk of cavities by 80%. The CDC further notes that even after two years, dental sealants continues to reduce the risk by 50% until year four.
3. Helps Certain Patients
Dental sealants are especially beneficial to certain patients such as children, the elderly, or those with mental or physical impairments that affect their dental routine. Although all the groups have their differences, the common factor is that they may struggle with properly caring for the molars in the back of their mouth. Using dental sealants can help maintain their oral health despite this.
4. Different Variations
There are also different variations of dental sealants. These variations are based on the material used to produce the sealant. Dental sealants can be made from glass ionomer cement, resin modified glass ionomer cement, composite resin, and polyacid modified composite resin. Additionally, sealants can be clear, white, or customized to the natural tooth color depending on the material that it is produced from.
5. Safe Treatment
Although some people have expressed concern over the BPA levels in dental sealant materials, the Canadian Dental Association considers dental sealants to be entirely safe for their intended use. Currently, Canada has only banned materials with BPA in baby bottles and infant formula cans. This is because heating these products increases the amount of BPA to possibly dangerous levels. This does not happen with dental materials, and the amount of BPA contained in dental sealants is less than one is exposed to by breathing air.
As you can see, by sealing the tooth and preventing cavities, dental sealants can be highly beneficial for dental patients. They also are produced with a variation of materials and colors that are considered safe by several prominent organizations. The next time you visit your general dentist for your regular teeth cleaning, you may want to ask them more about dental sealants and your oral health.
Dr. Claudia Wood
Dr. Claudia Wood completed her dental training at University of Detroit Mercy Dental School. She has worked in Detroit, Gross Point and Warren Michigan for two years. She returned home to Canada in 2006 where she worked with Dr. Trevor Mair in Scarborough from 2006 to 2011.
Her clinical experience includes two years working at Detroit Receiving Hospital, one of the busiest hospitals in the U.S., and volunteering in Haiti in 2006 for 10 days.
In reality, your general dentist is devoted to preserving your oral health and preventing dental issues from occurring. An important part of this prevention are regular dental cleanings and consultations, once every six months. During your dental appointment, here are five things your general dentist will do:
#1: Dental X-Rays
Often times, this is one of the first things you will do when arriving to your dentist’s office. Dental x-rays allow your dentist to evaluate the underlying bone structure and can even help them identify cavities in places that are not easily visible. There are two types of dental x-rays that may be taken: extraoral and intraoral. Extraoral x-rays focus on the entire outside of the face and are used to evaluate the jaw bone and joint. Intraoral x-rays, on the other hand, are focused on the structures within the mouth, such as the teeth and gums. Dental x-rays are fast, painless, and use minimal radiation. For more information about dental x-rays, see “Dental X-rays”.
#2: Dental Exam
After your dental x-rays, the next step is usually the dental exam. During your dental exam, your dentist will use a dental mirror, probe, and a light to better see into your mouth. They will use the probe to check for signs of cavities or tooth sensitivity. They will also check your teeth for damage or premature wear. Then, your gums will be evaluated for signs of gum disease by measuring your gum pockets. Excessively deep gum pockets can indicate gum recession caused by gum disease. Your jaw function and bite will also be checked.
#3: Oral Cancer Screening
While your dentist is examining your mouth, they will also be performing an oral cancer screening. This screening basically consists of your dentist looking at your tongue, gums, hard and soft palates, lips, and inner cheeks. They are looking to see if there are any irregularities in the color, size, or shape of these structures that could indicate the presence of oral cancer. For more information on oral cancer, visit the Oral Cancer Foundation.
#4: Consultation
At some point during your dental exam, your dentist will ask you about your medical history and current medications. This is because oral and overall health are closely related and learning about one helps to gain insight about the other. This is also the point where they will explain your dental x-rays and their findings from your oral exam. Many people use the dental consultation to learn more about their oral health and ask questions about any concerns they may be having.
#5: Teeth Cleaning
Usually one of the last parts of your dental appointment is your professional teeth cleaning. During a teeth cleaning procedure, a special dental tool called a scaler is used to scrape plaque and tartar off the surface of your teeth. This helps to remove the bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease. Once your teeth have been cleaned, a fluoride polish will be applied as an additional preventative measure.
Overall, dental appointments are not something to be feared. Rather they provide a valuable opportunity to learn about your oral health and how to properly maintain it. Additionally, regular dental appointments allow for consistent preventative treatments that can eliminate or reduce the risk of developing severe dental problems.
Dr. Claudia Wood
Dr. Claudia Wood completed her dental training at University of Detroit Mercy Dental School. She has worked in Detroit, Gross Point and Warren Michigan for two years. She returned home to Canada in 2006 where she worked with Dr. Trevor Mair in Scarborough from 2006 to 2011.
Her clinical experience includes two years working at Detroit Receiving Hospital, one of the busiest hospitals in the U.S., and volunteering in Haiti in 2006 for 10 days.
