.png)
.png)
.png)
Hours
Mon: Closed
Tues: 9:00AM-5:00PM
Wed: 7:00AM-5:00PM
Thurs: 9:00AM-5:00PM
Fri: 8:00AM-4:00PM
Sat: 8:00AM-3:00PM
Most cavities do not start on the smooth, visible surfaces of a tooth. They start in the deep, narrow grooves on the chewing surfaces of the molars - grooves that are often narrower than a single toothbrush bristle. Food and bacteria settle in, brushing cannot clear them out, and decay begins somewhere you cannot see it.
This is why a child who brushes conscientiously can still arrive with a cavity in a back tooth, and why those first permanent molars - which arrive around age six, before most children brush well unsupervised - are the most commonly filled teeth in the mouth.
A sealant fills in those grooves before decay can. The tooth is cleaned and dried, a conditioning gel is applied for a few seconds and rinsed away, and a flowable resin is painted into the grooves and hardened with a curing light. The surface is then checked against the opposing tooth so the bite feels normal.
There is no drilling and nothing is removed from the tooth, so no numbing is needed. Each tooth takes only a few minutes, and several can usually be done in the same visit as a cleaning.
Sealants are most often placed on children's permanent molars soon after they erupt, but adults with deep grooves and no decay in those teeth are candidates too. We check them at each recall visit and top one up if it has worn.
.webp)
According to the CDC, sealants can prevent the majority of cavities in the back teeth, and children without them have around three times more decay in those teeth than children who have them.
This is the differentiator paragraph copy. This is the differentiator paragraph copy. This is the differentiator paragraph copy. This is the differentiator paragraph copy.
See real patient success stories.
Nothing is removed from the tooth, so a sealant is placed without an injection and without the sound of a drill.
The grooved chewing surfaces of the molars are where most cavities begin. A sealant covers exactly that surface.
Each tooth takes only a few minutes, and we inspect the sealants at every recall visit and repair any that have worn.
The chewing surface is cleaned and dried, then a conditioning gel is applied for a few seconds and rinsed off so the resin will bond securely.
The flowable sealant is painted into the grooves, allowed to settle in, and hardened with a curing light. Nothing is drilled and no tooth structure is removed.
We check the sealed tooth against the one it bites onto and adjust it until it feels like it did before. You can eat as soon as you leave.
Not at all. A sealant protects the grooved chewing surface only. The sides of the teeth and the areas between them still need brushing and flossing, and sealed teeth still need regular checkups.
No. A sealant seals a healthy tooth surface; it does not treat decay that has already started. If we find a cavity, that tooth needs a filling instead, and we would talk you through that first.
No. They are most commonly placed on children's permanent molars shortly after those teeth arrive, but an adult with deep grooves and no existing decay or filling in a back tooth is also a candidate.
Several years is typical, though it depends on how heavily you chew and grind. We check them at every recall visit and repair or replace one when it has worn thin or chipped.
No. Nothing is drilled and no tooth structure is removed, so no anesthetic is needed. The tooth is cleaned, a gel is applied and rinsed, and the sealant is painted on and hardened with a light.
© Lush Dental Heights
Website by Wonderist Agency | Privacy Policy
