Should I Get Dental Sealant in My 7 Year Old's Teeth?

P.,
I am an experienced dental assistant. I've been in the field on and off since 1989. I have seen some aweful tooth decay on young children. Tooth decay at young ages...believe it or not...can affect the adult teeth if left untreated. Think about the pros and cons.
The acid etchant used prior to applying sealants is a "mild" etchant which is why sometimes sealants have a tendancy to be lost after periods of use through eating...but most of the time the children and some young adults are unaware that they've lost their sealants until thier followup appointments.
I have put sealants on both of my daughters when they were under the age of six to help protect their teeth. I truely believe the Pros outway the Cons.
I hope this helps...good luck.
M.

I had dental sealant put in my teeth as a child and never got any cavities until a few of the seals came out in my mid-twenties. The dentist may have had to redo a one or two between age six and age twenty, but most of them stayed in. One of my best friends had a similar experience, and we both swear by it.

Hi P.. I had sealants on all three of my children and to this day not one of the kids have fillings in those teeth. They are now 33 and 31. I say put the sealants on and I would consider looking for a new dentist.

L.

P.,
I have four daughters who are all adults now. Because every tooth in my mouth has a filling or a cap, I made sure they all had fluoride applied to their teeth by the age of 8. They all had the sealants done over the 1970's. I understand that the procedure has improved over the years. It worked very well for us as they had NO cavities as children. They were only aloud the occasional candy treat and soda was forbidden in our house. Remember that some fruit drinks can have the same acid/sugar effect on teeth as soda. The girls have had only a few problems as adults. The one daughter with the least enamel on her teeth has had the most dental work. I highly recommend it especially if the family has a history of dental disasters. Good Luck.

I got my teeth sealed when I was 12 years old and dentists could still see the seal when I was 20. Mine lasted a long time and I've never had any cavities as an adult. However, I don't know if things are different with baby teeth....

I'm am mad at this dentist i took my children to today. This dentist put sealants on my oldest son at thirteen. He's seventeen now. Well he dont remember me because we havent seen him in four years. Well when it came time for my nine year old to get sealants that i requested today for him to get. He had the nerve to say we only do that on children younger than four and besides he doesnt have any deep grooves in his molars. I held my tongue because I knew he was full of it, he just done my other sons four years prior. Needly to say for whatever reason he didnt want to do it, ie. didnt want make time, insurance didnt pay enough for his time and material who knows! But we are not going back to him again.

Updated

I'm am mad at this dentist i took my children to today. This dentist put sealants on my oldest son at thirteen. He's seventeen now. Well he dont remember me because we havent seen him in four years. Well when it came time for my nine year old to get sealants that i requested today for him to get. He had the nerve to say we only do that on children younger than four and besides he doesnt have any deep grooves in his molars. I held my tongue because I knew he was full of it, he just done my other sons four years prior. Needly to say for whatever reason he didnt want to do it, ie. didnt want make time, insurance didnt pay enough for his time and material who knows! But we are not going back to him again.

First and foremost...sealants are a complete and total waste of good money on baby teeth which are going to fall out and be replaced by adult teeth anyways.

Secondly. Once your children have their adult molars you should only consider sealants under two conditions:
a) Your child is prone to lots of cavities. Some kids just have week enamel and sugars adn acids eat right through wuickly to form cavitiies no matter how well they brush, floss and whatnot. In this case putting sealants on your child's molars is one more line of defense against cavities to help prevent them from having more discomfort than necessary.
b) Your child's molars have unusally large crevices. All molars have crevices, it's one of the reasons why brushing regularly is so important, food gets stuck in there and the acids from it can eventually eat through the protective enamel and cause cavities. When the crevices are unusually large, no matter how much brushing you do, it is very difficult to get all of the food out of them. Thus getting the sealants closes up these crevices and helps your child not to worry about food being stuck in their molars.

While the expense for the sealants is not overly huge, it is not cheap and most insurances do not cover it. I would seriously think about if you feel your children really need them before getting them. And I absolutely would not waste my money on them for baby teeth which fall out in a few short years anyways.

As for how long they last. I have sealants (my crevices were overly large and food was constantly getting stuck inside of them) My sealants were put in when I was 12. I am now 37 and they are JUST NOW beginning to chip away. They are not gone by a long shot, but they are starting to wear away. I eat ice cubes and hard candies now and again and certainly did as a child and it did not affect them...the reason the dentist say they only last 2-4 years and that these things affect them is because there are no guarantees when it comes to sealants and they have no intention of replacing them for free...

So...is it possible you will get them only to have your child crack one while chewing on ice?? Or that after 2, 3 or 4 years that they will somehow comeout on their own??? yes...Is it possible, like mine they will last much longer??? yes.

You just have to decide what is right for your child and your budget....

Good Luck!!! ;-)

My son is 16 years old and has never had a problem with any of his sealants. I would highly recommend them. My nephews also had them and they never had a problem with them either and they are all adults now. Your dentist can test the flouride content of your water to make sure that your son is getting plenty of protection for his developing teeth. Our dentist advised us to invest in a sonic care toothbrush for each one of us and it has made a big difference and is well worth the price. Your dentist can also perscribe a flouride treatment to brush on your sons teeth at night, right befor bedtime. My daughter sees a pediatric dentist who is fabulous and if you want her name, let me know and I will get it to you. My son went to her too when he was younger. Hope that this info helps.

I actually had sealant/cement put in some of my teeth. I was suppose to go back to get the rest done but never got around to it. I still have mine in and mine were put in about 15 years ago. I've eaten all sorts of things from chewing on ice to chewing gum. Maybe it depends on how they do it. I still don't have cavities to this day knock on wood (28 yrs old). I was told that it helped that we lived in Austin because Austin water has calcium in it. If not maybe taking calcium tablets would help. I used to only brush my teeth once a day mainly because I was lazy. I now brush twice a day but I tend to be good about using a toothpick after I eat to make sure I get all of the food out from in between my teeth. My husband is the type that doesn't have very good teeth and I've heard that taking calcium tablets helps. So far it's helped him a little.
I would be concerned with my dentist not suggesting the sealant. My dentist still tells me I should finish off my other teeth and tells me how much cheaper it would be and my teeth would be cavity free a lot longer.

I would definately suggest sealing his teeth. I had mine done as a kid and haven't had any cavities on the molars that were sealed, and believe me they're way past due. But from the way it sounds he's already very voulnerable to cavities, and maintaining sealants every 3 years is way cheaper than filling numerous cavities. You do have to throw out the gum, because that can pull them off. But I don't remember having any problems with candy. Like I said before I would just seal them.

Hi P., I have an 8 year old boy and when he was 4 he got a cavity. Kelsey Bookmyer pulled it and put in a spacer that will be removed when the molar comes in. We have had no problems with the spacer at all. Why fill a tooth that is going to come out anyway. Thats throwing money away!! Well he went to the dentist 4 weeks ago and no cavities! They did try to push Sealant but my mom had it done and does not reccomend doing it. We decided not to. My moms teeth are very sensitive and hurt with hot or cold temps. She says it might do the same or hurt worse on a child. Brush and floss everyday eat healthy foods and our childrens teeth will be healthy. Sealant is another way for Dentist to get money out of us. They have no idea what this stuff will do to our kids later down the road. Its Ridiculous!! Hope this helps, Bran

I love sealants! I used to work for a pediatric dentist and we did them all the time. They do have to brush the molars with pumice...so that the sealant would adhere properly. Unless your child is chewing on rocks...they should be ok. Mainly just stay away from the ice. I had my daughter's pre-molars sealed too! I know some adults that still have their sealants on from childhood.

Overall, I think it's a wise investment.

Best of luck!

*meals in minutes-ask me how*
http://www.homemadegourmet.com/marylou

Don't feel bad - some teeth are just more prone to cavities than others - and since you seem to have kids with cavity prone teeth, in spite of doing all the right things, I would get the sealants. I've never heard the thing about having to have them or them falling off, - and my kids' have never come off either (that I know of). This is a good idea to poll others to see what they say . . . But I vote - Get the sealants.

Take care.

P.:

I am a single mother of a 9 1/2 yr old girl and I had her teeth "sealed" as soon as she got them all in. It was the best thing I did. It is true it only lasts about 2-3 years, but they will be losing those teeth for the permanent teeth anyway. My insurance of course did not cover it so I had to pay for it myself, but I believe it was worth it. She hasn't had any trouble with her teeth with regard to cavities at all, and now we are in the losing stages where it is obvious braces will be needed in the future. Woo hoo......

Hope this helps.

M.

It is very important to have sealents on all the permanet molars. It protects them like a band-aid. They don't last forever. They are there to help your kids during the years that they don't brush well or take really good care of them. Once there older you don't get sealants as an adult. The sealants don't hurt the teeths health. You don't want your child to have a mouth full of fillings.

I would have to say sealants are good. But be diligent about making sure you visit the dentist to make sure they have not fallen out.

My 8 year old had his molars sealed two years ago and they have all fallen out. And he got a cavity. I think the dentist that put the seals in probably didn't do a very good job and didn't make sure they stayed put.

If you decide on sealants, go with a dentist that is experienced putting them in. And make sure your dentist won't charge you to replace them if they fall out.

Don't beat yourself up over the cavity. I totally felt guilty about my son's, but our new dentist (who is awesome btw) says that genetics play a huge role in how resistant a persons teeth are to decay. My son is a great tooth brusher, I go over them for him too and he flosses and has used various rinses and still got a cavity. I have a friend that NEVER flosses and only brushes at night and has never had a cavity ever, she is lucky. But my husband and I both had scads of cavities as kids.

Good luck!

Sounds like a good idea to me. Get a second opinion.

Hi P., I had my 7 yr old sons molars sealed. Our dentist didn't mention any cons to getting it done, and they are a wonderful pediatric dentist... I wish we had this when we were kids, I have fillings on ever molar... I really don't have any advice, except that my son did it, and we have had no problems, nor were we forewarned of any potential problems... J.

Yes, I would definitely get the sealants. They do come out some times,but they are easy to replace. My kids' teeth look great now because we had the sealants. No cavities on their teeth and no fillings. Be sure and use a flouride rinse on his teeth.

I had them on my sons' teeth. One got a cavity immediately. I would say there is no difference. Teach your child how to brush thoroughly and save the extra money.

P., I am a dental hygienest and I place sealants all the time in children. First of all we never seal baby teeth. The 1st permanent molar comes in around 6yr old then the 2nd permanent molar comes in at 12yrs or so. We are using sealant material today that lasts indefinitly. It depends on your technique, the child , and how acid the mouth is for how long it lasts. I have kids that pop them out in 6mos. and others will still be there in the college years. Our office policy is to repair them at no charge if they pop out within 1yr. We also touch the 6yr molars up when we do the 12yr molars. I would rather do sealants and repair them than to have a decay begin. The studies I have read say that when the sealant pops out the material is still in the deep grooves of the tooth and the tooth is still resistant to decay even though you can't always see the material. The acid used to etch the tooth is barely noticable on the tooth and it is of no consequence in harming the tooth. It just cleans the tooth surface of all plaque and debris and makes the sealant adhere to the tooth better. Sealants are rarely recommended for adults, or children over 16yrs. unless their 12yr molar came in late. Sealants do not protect the inbetween surfaces of the tooth from decay. We do not seal over deep grooves with dark stains in case there is decay. The sooner you seal the tooth after erruption the less chance for decay in the grooves. I personally sealed all of my children and highly recommend it . I do have patients that prefer not to do it and that is okay as long as the child is not eating a high sugar/acid diet. Hope this helps.

Hey there. My two oldest daughters got sealants two years ago and everytime they go back to the dentist everything if fine and the sealants are still in place.
i think its better to have them put in then waiting for a cavity to bother them.
good luck

G.

I personally would not do a sealint because I dont like to do matinance on my teeth! Do what makes you comfortable. If you dont like this dentist or she dosent jive with your wants find another. Good luck and dont worry too much.

To quote Nike: 'Just Do It!' It's non-invasive (like "painting" on top of teeth) and an added layer of protection.

P.,
It sounds like you have done your homework. I have had sealents on my own teeth for 23 years and haven't had a cavity for that long. I haven't lost any either.
Because of this, I had sealents put on my 7 year old daughter. It helped us eliminate "sticky" candy from our diet. Most dentist will tell you to give a child a hard candy vs. sticky candy, because it won't stay on their teeth. I have used this to help reduce sticky candy at school.
I also get sick to my stomach, when I have to take my child to have a dental proceedure done. Just this week, one of her non-molar baby teeth had an absess. The dentist said that that tooth had had a filling put in it. It's possible that before or during the proceedure, that a minute crack or hole developed. A slow growing bacteria got inside and grew. With this type, there is no fever. They just complain of tooth pain. The first X-Ray didn't show any crack or detect infection. They put her on antibiotics for 10 days. She got better. They requested a 30 day follow up. 28 days latter, the tooth started hurting again, and this time, when they X-rayed it, they could see the infection. They had no choice but to pull the tooth, to clean out the infection. My daughter had to take another round of antibiotics, but this time the tooth absessed 2 days before removal. The permenant tooth will not come in for 2 years. We've had to go back 3 times to have spacers, molds & a bracket put on to save room for the permenant tooth. Do I wish ALL teeth could be sealed? YES! If it's worth going to another dentist for a second opinion, then do! Pray about it. This is just my own experience with sealants & fillings. There are no "perfect" solutions. Trust your prayers & gut.

Perhaps I was a weirdo but I remember all of my baby teeth falling out by the time I was 9, including 1 molar that had a very expensive (and new) filling in it...
My mother was very upset, apparently the dentist told her it was an adult tooth or else she just would have had it pulled :)
I doubt all his molars are really going to last that long, I would probably listen to the dentist if I was you unless it looks like his teeth are just starting to go really bad. Maybe ask about a flouride rinse to help keep them strong.

My 18 year old got them when she was 5 years old. They were a lifesaver (I beleieve) as my enamel sucks and so does my husband's...so she was doomed. But to this day she has not had ANY caries and the sealants only just wore off in the last two years, but by now her preventive care is SO good that she doesn't need them.
WELL WORTH THE MONEY!

Yes, it is better to protect than be sorry! Besides, they lose the baby teeth anyway. All 5 of my children have them and have since getting a full set of teeth!! I'd also be looking for a new dentist, she sounds irresponsible with prevention.

P., I'm not sure what responses you got since I've just gotten around to checking my Mammasource emails, but here's mine: I think getting sealants for your child's teeth is a very smart idea. My mother had sealants put on my and my brother's teeth and we didn't have a single cavity during our childhood. It's the best thing she could have done for our teeth. I didn't get a cavity until I was in my late 30's, well after the sealants wore off. :-)

As far as the sealants wearing off and having to always go with sealants since they damage their teeth with acid: My mother had a friend who was in dental school, so we were fortunate to have our sealants done by dental students (being supervised by some of the top dentists). Our sealants lasted for years, and after they wore off, our teeth were perfectly fine. Perhaps a second opinion by another dentist will give you more accurate information?

i had both of my childrens teeth done and they last a long time i did mine about 3 or 4 years ago and only 1 has fallen out and it is nothing to put another one in and it beats them getting cavities, we never drink sodas either but one of my kids loves sweets the other dont care for them but would you rather have your kids with cavities or something in their mouths to prevent them and my dentist didnt have to grind the teeth down to do this my kids hate going to the doctor but love the dentist it is so simply like painting their teeth!! good luck

Do the sealant. I had it done when i was a kid and some of my teeth had it on into my 20's! i asked a few years ago about resealing and apparently they don't do that. i would get more info from your dentist about the acid and having the teeth be vunerable.

Or check out another dentist to see if the answers are the same.

good luck

I never heard the part about the acid before. All of my kids have had sealants, with replacements as you said, 2 to 4 years. Since I have fillings on all my molars, and have had to have root canals on 3 as a result, I think sealants are great. None of my kids have had any cavitites until just recently, and they're 35, 20, and 19. My 20 year old son just had two fillings between teeth where the sealants don't normally go. This came to $750! (That included getting sealants put there too). You can pay for lots of sealants for $750, so I would happily do it again. These kids can avoid all kinds of later problems because they have no fillings. We've only had good results from sealants.

Ya know what, I had my four back molars done at age 15 & I'm 36 & they're still there! I was even told they are supposed to only last about 9 yrs at the most but look how long it's been. I admit I wasn't allowed to eat a lot of candy anyway, parents wouldn't allow it regardless even before the fillings, but w/fillings in other teeth, why would I want to possibly cause my fillings, much less sealants, to come out so I just stuck to chewy type candy like soft carmels or starburst, once in a while hard candy but I just suck on that I'd stay away from jolly ranchers though, they'd pull anything out! I admit as a youngster, I hated brushing my teeth so after having 4 fillings done, I was a changed girl! I still ate junk food but getting the sealants came later, as I said, age 15, because I had trouble reaching my back teeth to clean well (I have a smaller mouth) so that's why I got them. It didn't hurt, they didn't put my mouth to sleep, I didn't know anything about any acid (I guess back then only parents were told what was being done, the kid always was left unknowing anything) but I know they brushed something on there which didn't hurt or anything so I assumed it was the sealant then she put a UV light to harden it & 21 yrs later, I still have them. They'd only do my four rear molars anyway but honestly, if you were going to get them done, I'd wait til the permanent molars come in unless you just want to get them done twice. Just remember, what your child eats, also keeps or loses them possibly too, ie: sticky stuff. Good luck.

P., I wish i know more about baby teeth. As a young teen had my adult teeth sealed, and haven't had a cavity. (10 to 15 years later) The dentist didn't use acid, he drilled very little b/c the groves were so deep. Good luck with your decision.
A.

I got sealant in my teeth when I was young too and it is still in there. I am 30! Never had a cavity in those teeth and I do not remember the dentist ever saying that if they fell out I would have to put it back in. He didn't warn against sticky candy or gum except for the first week. I personally think it is a great idea and plan to get my 13-year old step-daughter's teeth done soon.

I have used the sealant on both of my boys teeth and am very happy with it. It has been 2 years & my 13 yr old is complaining of sensitivity but no new cavaties etc... With the sealant they are protected not just filled. On the issue of your eating habits etc... fruits have alot of acid in combination with juices and hard water. You should use Spring Water from the store to drink. I also know that kids can sometimes brush too hard or too much & that takes off protective enzymes as well. Maybe try a softer tooth brush & no juices/fruits/hard waters right after they brush. Try maybe swishing in the mornings with a good mouthwash & floss then a good brushing & flossing at night. Hope you find some help!! :)

Hi P.,

I'm sure genetics have something to do with cavities as well as eating habits, but I for one always got flouride treatments as well as sealants my entire childhood. I have yet to get ONE cavity almost 30 years later. I am having them seal my 6 year old's teeth in a few weeks. He's already had several cavities and we are teeth fanatics at our house, so genetics are a real possibility. I figure anything that helps! My husbands parents never let him do any flouride and didn't do sealants and he has a few problems everytime he goes to the dentist...not little ones either, despite everything he does to prevent them now. The treatment during the young years Must make a differnce, so I say DO IT :0)

I had sealants put on both my daughter's teeth. The sealants lasted for quite a while but I am fairly certain a few had to be redone although I don't recollect how many.

My oldest daughter is 25 and she has never had a cavity. The other is a few years younger and she has had 2 very small cavities.

Sealants are about prevention, and prevention medicine is so much better than handling the problem after it happens. If my dentist recommended against sealants, I would find a different dentist. Dentists and doctors should encourage preventive medicines available to us.

Also, if you are concerned with the cost, check with your dental insurance if you have it. The first time sealants were applied, my dental insurance covered the cost. They would rather do that then pay the cost of filling a cavity which is much more expensive.

I had my oldest sons teeth sealed and will have my younger son's when he is old enough. Different dentists must use different techniques. My dentist doesn't use acid on the teeth, and I was told the sealants usually last for 4-5 years. Soda, sugarry gum, ice, hard candy and fruit snacks are really bad for teeth and sealants. My dentist told me that fruit snacks are the worst and he wishes they were never invented! My youngest son had the beginnings of a cavity, it was caught early and they put a seal over it. That was 2 years ago and it's still in place. I recommend it. I just don't understand when people, especially dentists would not use any preventative possible, and just say that there baby teeth and they will fall out anyway.