Dental Sealants Shouldn't Be an Excuse to Do These Things

Posted on: 7 March 2019

Many parents arrange for their children to have dental sealants applied to the back molars. This simple dental treatment is highly effective for preventing decay to the teeth that your child may not exactly be conscientious about brushing thoroughly. When your child gets some of his or her teeth sealed, it's important for him or her not to view this procedure as an excuse to forgo proper dental habits. Your child's pediatric dentist will go over the way that your child should continue to care for his or her teeth, and you'll want to also offer these reminders at home. Here are some behaviors that the presence of dental sealants shouldn't excuse.

Failing to Brush the Molars

It's easy for your teen to decide that because he or she has dental sealants on his or her back molars, it's no longer necessary to brush these teeth. In such a case, your child may shorten his or her brushing time to only focus on the front teeth. It's important to for you to make sure that your child doesn't take this approach. Dental sealants only cover the biting surfaces of the molars, which means that it's still important to brush the inside and outside of each of these teeth. Additionally, brushing the entire mouth helps to remove bacteria that could cause harm without a careful approach to brushing.

Increasing the Consumption of Sugar

A lot of children enjoy eating different products that contain sugar, but their parents will often try to restrict the intake of these foods because of the concerns over how they can impact dental health. Once your child gets dental sealants on his or her back molars, it's possible that the child decides that he or she will eat more candy and other sugary treats, given that the molars are protected against cavities. Remind your child that his or her other teeth aren't sealed, and that it's still important to avoid too much sugar.

Grinding the Teeth

If you've noticed that your child grinds his or her teeth, it's important to encourage him or her to stop this habit. An uninformed child may feel as though tooth grinding isn't a worry once the dentist seals the molars, but this type of treatment is designed to defend against cavities and decay, and will not protect the teeth due to grinding.

If your child is using the presence of the sealant to engage in any of these concerning habits, bring this topic to the dentist's attention during the next appointment. Call a business like Milner Dentistry to make an appointment today, if necessary.

Share