Pssst, want to know some insider secrets? Brushing and flossing alone won’t fully protect teeth from cavities. Those TV commercials that show toothbrushes reaching the hard to reach grooves, actually can’t reach far enough. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Okay, maybe that last one isn’t much of a secret but its great advice when it comes to protecting teeth with dental sealants.

When we think of molars (those big teeth in the back that do most of our chewing), we think of cute shiny squares with little bumps on the top. But in reality, the top of molars more closely resemble a mountain range with peaks and valleys. If we looked into these valleys with a microscope we would see the surface is similar to the bottom of a canyon. There are multiple cracks too tiny to see with our naked eye and impossible to clean with a toothbrush. But do you know what can fit? Bacteria. Those sneaky little bugs slip right in those cracks and make themselves at home. By the time we figure out what they’re up to, the damage is done and we have a cavity. But there’s something we can do to prevent the bacteria from taking up residency. Dental sealants to the rescue!

Now that we have you excited about protecting your teeth, what are dental sealants and how do they work? Simply put, dental sealants are an easy, painless, cost effective way to protect teeth from decay. A small amount of a liquid material is flowed into the valleys of the teeth. All the way down into those microscopic cracks that we can’t reach with our toothbrushes. The material hardens in a matter of seconds and forms a plastic coating that is bonded onto the biting surfaces of our molars. It’s so easy that in less than an hour, our hygienist can place sealants on your teeth and significantly decrease your risk for decay. Want some more great news? Most insurances cover sealants for children and in some cases, adults as well. Because like us, they understand that an ounce of prevention is…well, you know the rest.

Got questions? We have answers! Contact our office to learn more about prevention and schedule an appointment today. And remember to check back in with us next week for another great tip from the professionals at Olympia Hills Family Dental. Here is last week’s tip, if you missed it.

Keep Smiling!

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