Dental Sealants may not be something you’ve heard of before but they are growing in popularity due to recent research on their astounding effects. However the CDC and the ADA agree that the popularity of dental sealants is not growing enough.
Dental Sealants involve applying a hard plastic coating to the pits and groves of permanent molar teeth, since this is one of the favorite spots for food, plaque, and bacteria to hide. By applying a dental sealant to these molars at a young age the effects can be incredible. Decades of research demonstrate that coating the biting surfaces of molars with a resin-based dental sealant can reduce cavities by up to nearly 80 percent immediately — and up to 60 percent for four years or more. And since 90% of cavities present themselves on the biting surface of the back teeth, protecting them as soon and as long as possible with dental sealants is important. This is why Dr. Truong is one of the leading dentists providing dental sealants.
In a recent interview with
NBC News, Dr. Jonathan Shenkin, Pediatrician and spokesman for the American Dental Association, said the following about dental sealants:
“The lack of dentists doing dental sealants is a very silent and probably the most significant issue to care we face among children. Parents should be asking for sealants and not taking no for an answer.”
Out of pocket, these treatments are fairly inexpensive, but you may not be surprised to learn that most dental insurance policies cover dental sealants, especially for children. By inexpensively protecting molars with dental sealants as soon as they erupt; it saves everyone time money and headaches that cavities would have brought in the future.
One cavity needing a filling can cost anywhere between $100 and $400 per tooth. One sealant to prevent that cavity would cost between $30 and $70
The lifetime health of your teeth is of the utmost importance to Dr. Truong. Call today or schedule an appointment today to see if dental sealants are right for you or your children. (916) 649-0249
Click here to see a video explaining how dental sealants work and see more information
Click here to read the NBC News article about dental sealants
photo courtesy of http://www.smileimages.com/services/dentistry/maryland-sealants/
Data source: NBC News