Can You Put a Sealant Over a Cavity?

While adults can get cavities, they are more predominant among children aged 6-14 years. It becomes your responsibility to encourage proper oral health. It may be time for you to consider getting dental sealants for sensitive teeth for your child.

What Are Dental Sealants?

They are plastic-like materials in dentistry that protect and preserve natural teeth by preventing tooth decay. Dental sealants feature a putty-like paste painted over the chewing surfaces of teeth then hardens to form a tamper-proof barrier. Once in place, the oral sealant should protect your teeth for up to five years before you need a repeat procedure to repair or replace the material.

What Do Dental Sealants Do?

Dentists in Brentwood use dental sealants for preventive dental care for teeth before they incur any damage. Use is the primary distinction between a dental sealant and a standard tooth filling. Dental fillings are typically for treating cavities and dental decay, while tooth sealants are preventive measures to prevent damage from occurring. Some ways in which sealants can help your oral cavity are:

  • Protect teeth from dental caries. Tooth sealants are barriers between food residues and teeth’ enamels. When the plastic-like layer hardens and becomes one with your teeth, food residues, and bacteria cannot breach the layer to harm your natural teeth.
  • Reversing the early stages of dental cavities is only possible through fluoride treatment. When you have early signs of tooth decay, your dentists can recommend getting tooth sealants. The sealants will release fluoride minerals on your tooth gradually, which may reverse the early signs of dental cavities.
  • Sealants for sensitive teeth are popular among adults with enamel hypersensitivity, often heightened by enamel erosion. Sealants reinforce the strength of your tooth by adding an extra layer to help overcome sensitivity.

Can Everyone Get Tooth Sealants?

Dental sealants are popularized for Pediatric dental care since children are more prone to dental cavities than adults. Still, adults too can get dental sealants if they want to protect their teeth from the decay process proactively. However, dental sealants only work best for people whose teeth have not already started decaying. As it is a preventive measure, you should not wait until your teeth have cavities to get dental sealants.

Besides that, dental sealants only work for molars and premolars. The reason is that the sealant material applies well to the chewing surfaces of teeth that have deep pits and fissures. It means that dental sealants cannot protect your front teeth from dental decay. In that regard, you cannot neglect your dental health because the rest of your natural teeth still need continuous effort to remain in good health.

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What Happens If Your Tooth Decays Under a Sealant?

While dental sealants can help prevent tooth decay, they may not substitute for healthy dental habits. You may still have cavities and tooth decay in your oral cavity.

When your tooth starts to decay under a dental sealant, you must seek urgent treatment near you before you suffer irreversible damage. Since the tooth sealant is clear, the dentist can observe and monitor the progression of your cavity under the sealant material. If the decay seems to be progressing, our dentist at Brentwood Dental Arts will have to remove the tooth sealant to access the decaying tooth for treatment. At this point, you have various treatment options for your decaying tooth depending on the severity of the decay, including the following:

  • Dental fillings can take different forms, including amalgams, composite fillings, inlays, and Onlays.
  • Root canal therapy and other endodontic procedures
  • An appointment for tooth replacement may follow tooth extraction.