At What Age Can You Get Sealants?

Sealants are generally placed in children, but you can get them at any age after the tooth in question is fully erupted. (That means once the tooth in question has grown into the mouth completely through the gum and the surface which will be filled in with the plastic can be kept dry enough to place the plastic sealant.) Dentists most often place sealants on permanent teeth instead of baby teeth, but if their professional opinion is to strongly suggest sealant on baby teeth, that is to suit your (or your child’s) needs.

Are Dental Sealants Necessary?

Only your dentist can tell you if selants are the best choice for you. The factors involve the level of dental hygeine, the foods eaten, fluoride intake, and the shape of your teeth. For example, some can have excellent hygeine and a low sugar diet, but due to deep grooves in their teeth can still experience decay. Keep in mind that the most common tendency for children as they go through their pubescent years is to have worse dental hygeine and eating habits. Dental sealants are meant to prevent decay during these important years, and for people who have deep, narrow grooves in their teeth. Dental sealants are generally not necessary for EVERY tooth in the mouth, but usually for the molars, or “back teeth” with the most pronounced grooves.

Annual estimates are that 30,000 people are newly diagnosed with oral cancer each year. Of the 30,000 people diagnosed with cancer, 8,000 cases will result in death. In the early stages of the disease, oral cancer has a 90% success rate which is why early detection is so important. This five minute test, using dye and a fluorescent light to detect abnormal changes in the mouth and throat at an early stage is the solution. When used by a trained health care professional, ViziLite will help detect cancer in the early stage when it is most treatable. After screening a biopsy is performed for confirmation.

The best time to have a ViziLite test done is with an annual dental examination. Making this painless screening test a part of your annual oral cancer screening is the best way to ensure you have had a complete oral cancer screen. The screening kit is a single use kit and is discarded after use to prevent any contamination. All chemicals in the kit are non-toxic and biodegradable. Checking for signs of oral cancer is a very important part of your dental exam, with ViziLite it can be more effective and is completely painless.

Dental work is also not normally covered by many insurances, and when people do have insurance, it is normally very expensive. However, if you’re going to end up paying a good price for a dentist, it’s very important that you get quality work done and that you’re treated with respect.

OK, so one of the first things that you want to look for in a dentist is customer reviews. With the Internet, finding customer reviews on dentists is very easy to do. If you have a dentist in mind, you can simply enter that dentist’s name into a search engine along with the keyword “customer reviews.” You can also search customer view sites such as Yelp and Angie’s List.

Once you have decided on a dentist that you think you might want to use, it is important to find out if they accept the insurance that you carry. If you do not carry insurance, you want to get an idea of how much you’ll be paying for regular cleanings and checkups. You may also need to find a dentist that has a payment plan available, in the event that you have a dental emergency such as a root canal.

A few other things you may want to consider when searching for a dentist are things like location. Location means something different to everybody, and how important it is to you will make a part of your decision-making process. Also, the dentist’s education and years of practice are also important. Although you might think the opposite, many times new graduates from dental school do an amazing job of care at a really good rate. This is because they want to build a customer base, and also because they have a mentality fresh out of school that will not let them cut corners in your care.

West Pines Dental is a General and Cosmetic Dentist serving the Pembroke Pines Area. For more information about Pines West Dental and Dr. Astrid Rotter visit them online.

The staff at Astrid M. Rotter D.M.D., P.A. is professional and we pride ourselves on providing our clients with the best dental services in the Pembroke Pines area. There is no need to fear going to the dentist, we have The Gentle Touch for the Fearful Patient Our primary goal is your comfort.  Once you become knowledgeable about the treatment being performed you will be able to relax during the procedure. Be sure to voice any concerns, the staff is willing and able to answer any questions you might have about your dental care.

Call our office at 954-433-8880 to schedule an appointment or click here to have someone from our staff reach out to you.