Dental sealants are a thin coating of plastic that is applied to the chewing surfaces of the teeth. This thin coating bonds to grooves of the teeth, creating a protective layer of the enamel of the teeth. Typically, dental sealants are applied on the bicuspids and molars, which are the teeth that are most susceptible to cavities. While dental sealants are most often used on children and adolescents, adults can benefit from them as well. In this article, we’ll dive deeper into why some adults should consider dental sealants to help improve their oral health! If you have any questions about dental sealants or are looking for a dentist in the Southern Maine region, contact our team at Gentle Dental Maine today!

What Are The Benefits Of Dental Sealants?

Dental sealants have several benefits, each surrounding the fact that they improve your overall oral health! Below we’ll talk about the three primary benefits of dental sealants:

• Prevent Cavities: One of the biggest benefits of having dental sealants applied to your teeth is that they will help prevent cavities. Cavities are tiny holes that develop in the surface of teeth. Because sealants create a protective barrier on the enamel of your teeth, they can help prevent cavities.

• Helps Improve Oral Hygiene: Dental sealants can help improve your everyday oral hygiene routine! No matter how meticulous you are with your brushing and flossing routine, there will still be cracks and crevices in your teeth that are hard to reach. Sealants will help keep plaque and food particles out of these hard to reach areas, improving your oral hygiene!

• Easy To Maintain: Dental sealants are low maintenance, meaning that as long as you keep up your good at-home oral hygiene routine, they can last for years and years! Even if your dental sealants do eventually wear down, they can be quickly and affordably repaired by your dentist by simply adding more sealant!

Why Should Adults Consider Getting Dental Sealants?

While cavities are most common in children ages six through fourteen, they can still occur in people of all ages. As an adult, there are some features of your teeth that can make you more susceptible to cavities, including deep grooves on your teeth, diet, genetic predisposition, and more. If you are a person of any age that wants to limit your chances of getting cavities and improve your overall oral health, dental sealants can be the easy, cost-effective solution that is right for you!

Contact Gentle Dental Maine!

If you have any additional questions about dental sealants or are interested in them for you or your children, contact Gentle Dental Maine! Our family dentists specialize in general, cosmetic, restorative, and emergency dentistry services at each of our offices in South Portland, Biddeford, and Topsham. Give us a call at any one of our offices, or if you’re not yet a patient with us, please fill out the new patient form on our website!