Making Your Seal Effective
Sealant is a very effective procedure to prevent caries or to arrest incipient caries to extend more than it should. It is very ideal treatment especially for children once their permanent teeth starts to erupt. Sealants are meant for the chewing surfaces of molars, particularly those with many pits and fissures, though many dentists apply them routinely to all their young patients as soon as their premolars and molars erupt, this occurs at around age six and 12. However, we put sealants as well on adults as according ADA (American Dental Association, “sealant placement in children and adolescents has shown a reduction of cavities’ incidence by 86 percent after one year and 58 percent after four years.”
Sealants are basically thin, plastic coatings painted on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. And, there are 2 major concerns, one, safety and second, effectivity. In regards to safety, though dental sealants can contain the same chemicals that caused controversy when present in plastic baby bottles, these are bisphenol-A (BPA) or its chemical cousin, bisphenol-A dimethacrylate (BPA-DMA). Though still investigating, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) currently deems these compounds safe, but some researchers have impugned them in everything from diabetes, cancer and most alarming for children to accelerating the onset of puberty due to estrogen-like effects. The concern is so fever-pitched that some sealant companies that Ultradent made UltraSeal 0% BPA-free. Although, UltraSeal does contain methyl hydroquinone, which is similar. Patients who are allergic to tertiary butylhydroquinone can sometimes also be allergic to methyl hydroquinone. On the other hand, if the patient has ever had a composite or adhesive in their mouths, they have likely already been exposed to methyl hydroquinone.
The second concern is effectivity. Sealants normally fails due to moisture. If the tooth to be sealed is not totally dry prior to sealing, then, sealants fails. That’s why Ultradent created PrimaDry that contains 99% organic solvents and 1% primer. PrimaDry rapidly volatilizes moisture content of pits and fissures after rinsing off etchant with water spray and air drying. that is applied prior to placement of the UltraSeal sealant. This evaporates the moisture without creating a bone-dry effect on the enamel of the tooth. This is not to be placed on the dentin though.
To make UltraSeal be very effective, the following steps needs to be done:
So, this will be the result.
Sealants can last up to 10 years. But they need to be checked at regular dental check-ups to make sure they are not chipped or worn away. The dentist or dental hygienist can repair sealants by adding more sealant material. So, if it is done right and you use the right material and keep the moisture out, which by the way if you don’t like to much steps, just use UltraSeal Hydro, placing sealants is one of the most effective way of preventing decay to ones teeth.
