
Protecting Your Teeth From The Very Start
Experience Dental - Fluoride Treatment FAQs
Experience Dental - Dental Sealants FAQs
Fluoride Treatment
Parents often look for ways to protect their children’s teeth from decay, and fluoride treatment is a proven, safe solution. This treatment is especially beneficial for children as their adult teeth begin to come in. Fluoride helps to combat tooth decay by strengthening tooth enamel through a process known as remineralization. As acids from plaque and food attack the teeth, essential minerals can be lost, leaving teeth vulnerable. Fluoride restores those minerals, making enamel stronger and more resistant to decay. Regular fluoride treatments can provide your child with an added layer of protection, helping to ensure a healthier smile as they grow.
Dental Sealants
Molars are particularly prone to decay due to their deep grooves and pits that can easily trap food particles and acidic plaque. This makes them harder to clean, even with regular brushing. For parents looking to protect their child’s teeth, dental sealants offer an effective solution. When children get new molars, a thin layer of dental sealant can be applied to those hard-to-reach areas, creating a protective barrier that keeps out harmful substances. This shield helps prevent decay, preserving their natural teeth and promoting long-term oral health. Dental sealants are a simple, pain-free way to safeguard your child’s smile, giving you peace of mind.
Why Choose Sealants and Fluoride?
Both fluoride and sealants are backed by leading dental organizations for their effectiveness in protecting teeth. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends the use of sealants based on a dentist’s assessment of risk and individual needs. Sealants are an essential part of a comprehensive preventive program, which also includes good nutrition, regular fluoride use, proper oral hygiene, and routine dental checkups. Together, fluoride and sealants can play a key role in maintaining healthy teeth and preventing future dental issues.
Reduce Tooth Sensitivity
Tooth sensitivity is a common issue when enamel becomes worn or thin, leaving the underlying layers of the tooth exposed. Beneath the enamel, dentin, pulp, and nerve tissues support the tooth but are highly sensitive to temperature and food particles. Without strong enamel to protect it, the dentin is exposed to hot, cold, acidic, or sticky foods, leading to discomfort. Fluoride and sealants help strengthen and protect the enamel, ensuring that your teeth remain less sensitive and better protected against everyday elements.
Prevent and Reverse Decay
When enamel wears down, it increases the likelihood of tooth decay, leading to cavities. Left untreated, decayed teeth may cause infection, pain, and may eventually require more extensive treatments, such as a root canal. By rebuilding enamel through fluoride treatments and preventing plaque buildup with sealants, you not only strengthen teeth but also stop decay from progressing. This proactive approach helps prevent cavities and keeps your teeth healthy.
Save Money in the Long Run
Preventive care is always more affordable than corrective procedures. Investing in fluoride treatments and sealants now can help you avoid the need for costly dental work down the road. By protecting your teeth today, you can save yourself from the financial burden of more serious dental issues in the future. Sealants and fluoride are inexpensive treatments that offer significant long-term benefits for your oral health.
Fluoride and Sealants: Simple Steps to Healthier Teeth
Fluoride treatments and dental sealants are essential parts of preventive dental care for children. Fluoride is typically added to your child’s annual teeth cleaning and exam, while sealants are applied as needed, often after a new molar erupts or when the dentist identifies a problem area on the surface of a tooth.
Fluoride Treatment
The fluoride treatment we offer is stronger than over-the-counter products because it is administered by dental professionals in our office. The most common fluoride treatment comes in the form of a foam or gel, applied in upper and lower trays. It only takes a few minutes to apply, typically at the end of a teeth cleaning. For the best results, patients are advised to avoid eating or drinking for 30 minutes after the treatment to allow the fluoride to fully absorb and provide maximum protection.
Dental Sealant Application
Applying dental sealants is a quick, painless procedure that requires no drilling or numbing. The dentist will first clean and dry the tooth. Then, a mild acidic gel is applied to slightly roughen the surface, which helps the sealant adhere more effectively. After rinsing off the gel, the dentist will dry the tooth again and apply the sealant into the grooves of the tooth. A special blue light is then used to harden the sealant. Once completed, your bite will feel natural and comfortable, and the tooth will be protected from decay.
Contact us today
to schedule an initial consultation & exam.
Your consultation will include an examination of everything from your teeth, gums and soft tissues to the shape and condition of your bite. Generally, we want to see how your whole mouth looks and functions. Before we plan your treatment we want to know everything about the health and aesthetic of your smile, and, most importantly, what you want to achieve so we can help you get there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your dentist or hygienist will advise you to wait 30 minutes after fluoride treatment before eating or drinking. This waiting period gives the fluoride a chance to absorb into your tooth enamel and do its thing.
Did you know that fluoride is actually a naturally occurring mineral? Small concentrations of fluoride are naturally present in some sources of drinking water. Scientists caught on to the benefits of fluoride when it was noticed that people who lived near fluorinated sources of water had less tooth decay. Since then, fluoride has been added to other sources of drinking water and to routine dental care regimens. Fluoride treatment has been safely preventing dental decay all over the world for generations.
Dental sealant is bonded to the biting surfaces of molars and acts as a shield to protect the vulnerable grooves and fissures of teeth from decay.
Dental sealants can last up to 10 years with routine oral hygiene and regular checkups. Make sure to brush and floss regularly and avoid acidic food and drink, especially before bed. If dental sealants become chipped or worn, a dentist or hygienist can easily repair it.
