To this day, tooth decay is still one of the most common chronic conditions among toddlers and school-aged children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a lot to say about the need for dental sealants in the United States, especially for children, since they are the primary victims of tooth decay. Hopefully, this article may open your mind to the idea of getting dental sealants for your child. Dental procedures such as this one are available in clinics in Pinole.
You never know, this might even save their lives.
Dental Sealants in a Nutshell
The 1960s saw the beginnings of dental sealants. These are plastic coatings applied on the chewing surface of the teeth to make them resistant to cavity-causing bacteria. Most of the time, professionals apply these on molars, which are most at risk of cavities.
Dentists offer sealants to children ages 5 to 7, just when their first set of permanent molars come in and again when they grow their molars at 12 years old.
Once the sealant coats the tooth, it hardens and provides an extra barrier, which incapacitates bacteria from eating away at it, offering long-term cost savings to patients and their families.
The Lack of Dental Sealants in School-Aged Children
CDC recently found that there is a lack of dental sealants in school-age children. They, along with other researchers and dental professionals, think that there’s a dire need to resolve this before it turns into a severe dental dilemma, as oral health problems tend to cause children difficulty in concentrating and learning. It also results in missed school days.
They also pointed out that “Low-income children were 20 percent less likely to have sealants than higher-income children,” and that “Applying sealants in school-based programs to the nearly 7 million low-income children who don’t have them could save up to $300 million in dental treatment costs.”
Tooth decay is just one of the things you need to worry about when it comes to your child’s teeth. But, if you’re looking for a lasting solution that will save you money in the long run, then dental sealants are just the thing your kid needs.