4 Signs Your Child Needs Sealants Now

As a parent, you want to protect your child however you can. Sealants give you a way to do precisely that. With these protective coatings on the top of their molars, you dramatically reduce their risk of getting a cavity. 

That’s a big deal because cavities are super common in kids. Some data says that more than half of kids between the ages of 6 and 8 deal with this kind of oral health problem. 

That’s a big part of why Irene Zaki, DDS, offers sealants right here at Happy Teeth Children’s Dentistry in Riverside, California. By hardening these coatings on their molars, she helps defend your child against cavities for years to come. 

The majority of kids can benefit from this kind of proactive dental care. There are some signs you shouldn’t wait to talk to Dr. Zaki about them, though. Here are four reasons to bring up sealants at your next appointment with us. 

#1: Your child is age 6-11

Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), kids in this age range without sealants are three times more likely to develop cavities than kids with them. While your child is this age, their risk of a cavity is relatively high. Sealants give you a way to manage that risk. 

#2: Their teeth have deep grooves

Even if your child is outside of that 6-11 age range, Dr. Zaki may still recommend sealants. These protective coverings become extra important if your child has deep crannies and grooves in their molars. They might struggle to remove plaque from those tight spaces, so it’s helpful to protect them with sealants. 

#3: They have a history of tooth decay

Dr. Zaki might also recommend sealants when your child has struggled to keep their teeth clean in the past. If your child has had a cavity in their molar before, they would benefit from sealants to avoid that problem recurring. 

#4: Their teeth are fully grown in

Dr. Zaki offers sealants for both baby and adult teeth. But that tooth needs to be fully emerged. She can’t apply sealants to teeth that haven’t completely erupted through the gum line. 

Once the molar is grown in, though, putting the sealant on as soon as possible helps to protect that new tooth through your child’s most cavity-prone years. 

If anything on this list sounds familiar, don’t hesitate to talk with Dr. Zaki about what sealants could do for your child at your next visit. If you don’t already have an appointment scheduled, call Happy Teeth Children’s Dentistry or book it online today.