Dental Sealants at Rockford Pediatric Dentistry

Often, decay begins on the chewing surfaces of teeth, in the pits, fissures, and grooves of a tooth. Food can easily get caught in these grooves, the germs that cause decay begin to thrive where food is caught, and a cavity can form. Furthermore, many popular snacks for children—including crackers, fruit snacks, gummy vitamins, and other high carbohydrate snacks—can easily get stuck in these grooves. Despite our best efforts, it is often difficult to effectively brush these back teeth at home, especially in younger children. Sealants are an added layer of protection we can use to prevent this type of decay from forming.

Sealants are made of various white resin materials, matching the color of your child’s tooth. When we “paint” on sealants, we are effectively sealing off the pits, fissures, and grooves where cavity germs love to thrive. We recommend placement of sealants as early as 6 years old, when the permanent molars begin to erupt. The earlier we are able to place sealants, the longer your child will benefit from this added form of cavity prevention.