Sealants for DC's Teeth??

[love2all]

Has anyone done this? The hygenist recomended it for our dc- they went to the dentist for the first time ever last week. DD, age 9, had 0 cavities
ds- age 6, had 6 : .....
What are they made of? Is it really a minute amount of plastic? I know I had them as a teen and can't say it was necessarily bad- but long term effect- who knows??
I did look in the dental archives but the discussion was 2 years old so I am hoping for the opinions of the mamas around here these days..
much peace-
maria

[dallaschildren]

I would recommend it...but I would check first with your insurance carrier. Some will cover it IF the dentist recommends it (hint hint). I had our oldest boys teeth done. It is a brush on liquid substance and within a few minutes we were done. The only place they can seal is the tooth indentations (ridges?). Sorry but I have no clue what else to call it. They will not put sealant on the fronts of teeth because it would slide right off. It really has helped us. No cavities last check up!

[love2all]

Yes, when I look at the alternatives....... The dentist recomennded that ds be put under GA at the hospital and have all the cavities filled...GA??! NO WAY....
The hygenist said she only saw 1 cavity so the others must be really small or else she was an idiot. So my nextmove is to call and see if maybe they can just seal over the little areas for now and keep watching- I will have them fill the ones that really need it.
But with dd, who at 9 has no cavitys? Should I fill her molars with this plastic stuff? anyone got links to possible side effects?

[DoctorMark]

Forget about sealants

The current technology is to use a Diagnodent laser to detect decay. If it's decayed then fix it. Sealants last from 3-8 years. When they fail they leak. When they allow leakage they cause decay. I've been through it. No sealants in my office.

[Breathless Wonder]

Thank you for the information, DoctorMark!

[amnesiac]

Sealants last from 3-8 years. When they fail they leak. When they allow leakage they cause decay.

Can you point me to research demonstrating statistics on this? I'm curious to see how often that happens because I personally had sealants placed as a child & as of my last check-up, most are still in place in the deep crevices with no evidence of either leakage or decay. Perhaps a more durable material was used way back then??

[DoctorMark]

I have sealants still in existence from 18 years ago when I placed them. That is the minority. And in the same mouths I have seen lost sealants with no decay. In some I see loss with decay. Was there a service here? If you want statistics you might start with the ADA who continues to recommend them.

[intentfulady]

I have BAD teeth.

My kids 24, 20 and 18 were given sealents as youngsters.

NO decay throughout childhood. Breastfed, tons of calcium on board through pregnancy. NO sugar until quite old.......teens really. Strict hygiene.

I know my 24 year old has had a few cavities this last year.........

They were reccommended due to "deep crevices" on their molars.

It was a plastic composite, that required etching their original tooth enamel, which seemed like a bummer. Applied and then set with ultraviolet spectrum....... I think...... I'm NOT a dentist! But I can't put down NO DECAY!!!

I would love to understand docs statement..........more details please!! I'm confused....are you saying YOU disagree with the ADA reccommendation?

I must say having NO SUGAR kids was the hardest thing on earth to accomplish IMO!!!!!!!

Good Luck !

TIA
Colleen

[DoctorMark]

The ADA also recommends amalgam being used...I do not agree with all they say...but I am a member. As for sealants I will explain what I have seen in 20 years of Dentistry. Some sealants remain for many years. The average life is less. When a sealant fails it begins with a bond failure which allows bacteria to enter. If the sealant is partially retained it actually will cause the decay.( Also,they only 'protect' the surface and this leaves the area between teeth vulnerable. ) I'm sure you can find plenty of people with 'success' stories of how they had sealants and they have no decay. The part that the sealants had in this is questionable.
Once a tooth has a sealant it can no longer be monitered by the Diagnodent (http://www.kavousa.com/products/hand...=311000&lan=Us).
I have many photos of decay being removed from under an 'intact' sealant. Dentists used to believe that decay sealed by a sealant would stop proliferating. It has now been shown not to be true. So if someone places a sealant on a tooth without first checking for decay by drilling or using the diagnodent, they may well be setting up for a large cavity.
I can ramble for hours on this subject. Surfice it to say I believe in a practical approach to all situations . Minimally invasive and of course, totally cosmetic.

[amnesiac]

I went over to PubMed this morning to check out some studies because I wasn't able to find much of any substance at the ADA. I wasn't able to find many studies that followed children beyond 2-5 years. What I gather from my reading is that sealants are best reserved for children at "high risk" for decay. What exactly constitutes "high risk" I'm still unclear about. I believe access to care & history of decay are 2 criteria but I don't know what others there are. A friend of mine just took her 4 year old in for his first exam & he had 6 cavities all in between his teeth. Her dentist attributes it to all the repeated courses of antibiotics he took due to recurrent ear/sinus infections. Maybe that's a high risk factor then?

[intentfulady]

Thanks for your reply doc, I am excited also to follow this new diagnostic technique.

and..........I saw something about O3 TX? It came up on a google search of the diagnodent.
Are you using this too?
Are you familar with Weston Price's research?

TIA
Colleen

[DoctorMark]

The ozone technology is not yet available in the USA. I would love to have it except its' cost (40,000.00) and its' limited use (biting surface decay). Unfortunately the chance of recovering your investment is low with these problems.
Price has a couple points to consider but overall I wouldn't take much out of his writings as fact. Always be sure to read the list of references. When I see many or most coming from more than 10 years ago I believe they are reaching to make their argument.

[JessicaS]

Accidently posted this in wrong thread. :

[indie]

In regards to DoctorMark's comments, I can offer my real life experience. When I was around twelve my dentist recommended that I have sealants on my molars. I had never had any cavities before although I had two fillings because my teeth were malformed and had holes. Two years later I found out that my sealant had leaked causing my first and only cavity. The dentist said that the sealant had traped food and such in there and it caused a very rapidly forming cavity. I saw the x-rays and it was quite nasty. So not only did my mom pay to have my perfectly healthy teeth sealed, she then payed again to have the problem caused by the sealant fixed (a different dentist this time). I didn't know until I read DoctorMark's comments that my experience is common.

[blessedwithboys]

can anyone enlighten me as to the safety of the plastic used for the sealant? i understand that amalgam can leach when touched by hot foods/liquids. is this true for the plastic as well? my 9yo ds has an appt for sealants next month. he has really weak enamel despite being bf for 2 yrs and getting almost no refined sugar, and also despite my ocd-like hygiene habits. lol he has had about half a dozen cavities already. the dentist said his molar grooves are too deep to determine if the dark spots he sees are decay or just stains, so he plans to open them up a bit and then decide.