All Coast Dental in Pacific Beach is not only a family-owned practice, but also one that serves whole families. Oral care is important throughout life, but it’s especially vital for children, whose sleep and behavior may be disrupted by toothaches. With the new school year underway, parents are eager to ensure they’re children’s teeth are in good condition, which is why we thought this would be a good time to discuss one of most important preventive measures children can undergo for their dental health: sealants.
The grinding surfaces of our molars and premolars have deep crevices that food debris can easily get stuck and become impacted in, and children are not always the best at brushing it away. These teeth are at heightened risk for caries, and even though baby teeth fall out, decay there still hurts. A sealant is essentially a protective plastic coating for the tooth that also somewhat smooths out its crevices. We’ll provide the patient with a cleaning as usual, and then apply a mild etching acid to increase the tooth’s surface area. We paint the sealants onto each tooth in liquid form, and then harden them with a blue light. The patient should be eating normally again by the next day.
Sealants are covered by children’s dental insurance and don’t require any special preparation from the patient. The plastic coating does not make teeth immune from decay, but it can slow the progression of acid that oral bacteria secrete, and although they reduce the area where food debris can get stuck, they don’t compromise the teeth’s grinding function. Adult patients can also benefit from the application of sealants, and once placed, a sealant can last for several years.
Drs. Julie and Joseph Boulos operate All Coast Dental at 2180 Garnet Ave, Suite 1-K, Pacific Beach, California, 92109. To schedule an appointment, call 858-270-4904 or visit All Coast Dental and fill out a contact sheet.