[Cassidy]

I was wondering about everyone's experiences with cavities. My dentist wants us to use sealants on our daughter's molars. I have read the archive discussions and understand the theory about the grooves in the teeth and that prevention is better than fixing a problem later. However, I am somewhat concerned about bacteria uder the sealant over time and about hormones in leaching from the sealant materials. Obviously, this is a risk-reward analysis. My question, I guess, is this: How do you evaluate the potential risk? Is everyone at equal risk for cavities?

My daughter is almost eight and has no cavities. I am in my thirties and have never had a cavity. I tend to see much of this as overkill. My husband has quite a few fillings. He sees it as practical. Are some people more likely to get cavities than others? If so, do most "cavity-prone" children tend to already have cavities by the time sealants and floride treatments become an option? How do I make an informed decision that is reasonable for my family?

 

[simonee]

nak

not everybody is at the same risk. many of the children you read about here get cavities despite their parents really taking care of their teeth, like nursing, brushing, no sweets. if you have no cavities, and your dd doesn't either, there's a good chance she has your strong teeth and she's not prone to lots of bacteria in her mouth. you could go with the sealants just in case or for extra protection, but you could also elect to hold off. what does your dd think about it? i don't know about risks, from what i've read here by smilemomma the risks -- if they are even there -- are definitely worth taking if the teeth tend to be bad, but in your case i wouldn't know.

i don't know about hormones, actually i'm not even aware of the sealants containing hormones, but the teeth are cleaned well before the sealant is put on so i haven't heard of bacteria being stuck there anyway. i figure they would die of lack of oxygen pretty quickly if they were.

hth