Dental sealants are an easy way to protect your back teeth from decay.

You don’t have to look at your teeth for very long to realize that they are different from one another. That is because each set of your teeth has a different job to do. In the case of your back teeth, which are called molars and premolars, their job is to crush, grind and otherwise chew your food to get it ready for you to swallow and digest. To do their job well, they have a set of ridges on their chewing surfaces. However, those ridges also create extra places for plaque, food debris and bacteria to hide, and those spaces can be hard to reach with your toothbrush. If left in place, those substances can create cavities.

girl having treatment done by doctorFortunately, our dentist, Dr. Kimberly Fee has a solution to that problem. Dental sealants are very thin layers of plastic that are painted on the chewing surfaces of your teeth. The process is painless and is done in a single office visit. When the sealant hardens, it forms a barrier between your tooth enamel and cavity-causing substances that can last up to ten years. In many cases, dental sealants are used for children, since they are most prone to cavities, and because sealants work best when they are applied as soon as the teeth erupt. However, adults who are susceptible to cavities can also benefit from sealants. If you live in the Prescott, Arizona area and would like to know more about dental sealants for you or your child, call 928-778-7410 today for an appointment.