Sealants

[ChristaN]

Dd12 has all of her permanent teeth and has for nearly 2 years.  (Her baby teeth and adult teeth came in early.)  We were fortunate and she didn't need orthodonture.  She also has no cavities and her last check-up indicated that she was at low risk of cavities due to having not had any in 2+ years/never and good cleaning on her behalf.

They do want to put sealants on all of her permanent molars, however.  Does anyone have any opinion on sealants in a situation like this?

[organicmidwestmama]

my child has had cavities and yet i still feel unsure whether sealants, as recommended by dc's dentist, are truly going to be helpful. i also question the safety of the materials used and am not sold on it. so if my child had never had a cavity i wouldn't do it. also, i did have sealants placed as a young teen and got cavities in teeth that were sealed. my understanding of the sealant process is that an acidic solution is first brushed on the teeth to make the plastic adhere. i'm not a dentist, but it doesn't make sense to me to apply acid and possibly damage enamel in order to then apply a protective coating of plastic.

[ChristaN]

Originally Posted by organicmidwestmama 

my understanding of the sealant process is that an acidic solution is first brushed on the teeth to make the plastic adhere. i'm not a dentist, but it doesn't make sense to me to apply acid and possibly damage enamel in order to then apply a protective coating of plastic.

That's my concern as well actually.  I do understand the the molars have a lot more pits in the surface making it easier for food to get stuck and decay to occur.  Dd did have a cavity in a baby tooth but it was many, many years ago and all of her permanent teeth have been good so far.

However, I'm just not sure on the idea of damaging or removing the enamel to replace it with a sealant.  I'm also not sure how much of tooth decay is hereditary and how much of it is due to dietary and cleaning habits, etc.  Dh has terrible teeth, has had a few root canals, many fillings, caps, and all kinds of other problems.  I have one or two tiny fillings from when I was a kid or teen, but otherwise my teeth have been totally fine.  I do believe that I had sealants put on in my late teens, though.  It's hard to know if the sealants helped, though, or if I just wasn't going to get many cavities.

[tanyalynn]

I'm doing some guessing based on the age of your DD and when you had kids, but I doubt those sealants are still on your teeth, I think they wear away over time.  I don't remember how frequently it needs to be re-done, but unless I'm totally off-base, it's not there forever--which makes sense, the mouth is a pretty harsh environment.  I haven't looked it up because I'm not comfortable with my kids getting them--they wanted to put them on DD's molars, I think the 6-year molars that came in a year or two ago are adult teeth.  But she hasn't had cavities so I didn't consider it much--known chemical exposure for a potential benefit that doesn't look valuable to us. 

[mama1803]

We opted against the sealants.  Even the supposed BPA free ones are not completely BPA free and there have been reports of allergic reactions to the sealants such as mouth rashes and itching.  Given that my ds already has food and environmental allergies, we decided not to chance it especially since he's never had a cavity (he is 8 years old).

[ChristaN]

That's good to know as dd has severe allergies to tree nuts as well as some minor allergies to animals.

[newmum35]

I've read the teeth need to "breathe" too and sealants are not good. Not to mention they contain BPA. (the bad plastic) - I'd still consider it if the child had poor teeth and going for multiple extensive dental work in the future was the other alternative.  But for a child with good teeth to begin with, I wouldn't do the sealants.

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by newmum35 

I've read the teeth need to "breathe" too and sealants are not good. Not to mention they contain BPA. (the bad plastic) - I'd still consider it if the child had poor teeth and going for multiple extensive dental work in the future was the other alternative.  But for a child with good teeth to begin with, I wouldn't do the sealants.

this.  and the way that teeth are mineralized is in large part due to being bathed in saliva.  with sealants in place that cannot happen.  There would have to be some extreme circumstances to make me consider it.  I don't view them as being prophylactic.

[goldenwillow]

I would pass on the sealants.  The materials are not great and why put that in the mouth, even the materials some DDS's claim are ok these days.  About 10 years ago they were pushed by insurance companies as a preventative measure for their pocket books.  Most dentists charge around $30-$50 bucks a pop and it is a money maker for them as most have their assistants do it - illegal in my state, but still done.  I believe that if the child doesn't have a carries issue, pass on it.  I am also leary of them because if there is any bacteria/decay/food missed as they seal the tooth... it is locked in for good.