Dental sealants are commonly placed on children’s molars as soon as they erupt. But what are they, do my children need them and are they safe?

Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that are applied to the grooves on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth to protect them from tooth decay. Most tooth decay in children and teens occurs on these surfaces. Sealants protect the chewing surfaces from tooth decay by keeping germs and food particles out of these grooves. To properly place a sealant a dentist must be able to keep the tooth dry. So, at a minimum, this means that the chewing surface of the tooth being sealed must be erupted (fully positioned through the gums), and also that the patient is at an age where they can provide some degree of cooperation. The specific age at which this combination of events occurs will vary from child to child. An adult’s teeth can be sealed, although this procedure is typically utilized as a preventive measure for children so to help protect their teeth during those years when they are most likely to experience tooth decay.

Not everyone needs dental sealants. After an examination your dentist can report to you what they feel is indicated for you or for your child. It is the shape of their grooves (pits and fissures) that can place some teeth at greater risk for cavity formation than others. Those people whose grooves are deep and narrow will have a more urgent need for dental sealants than those people whose grooves are naturally shallow and rounded. It is possible that with some deep and narrow grooves the toothbrush can not reach to clean the tooth effectively. Beyond pit and fissure anatomy, your dentist will consider other variables that might indicate that a tooth is at risk for developing decay and thus a candidate for a sealant. They will evaluate the amount of dental plaque they find present, the amount of decay the patient has experienced in the past, and the patient’s current exposure to an appropriate amount of fluoride.

Permanent molars are the most likely to benefit from sealants. The first molars usually come into the mouth when a child is about 6 years old. Second molars appear at about age 12. It is best if the sealant is applied soon after the teeth have erupted, before they have a chance to decay. A sealant can last for as long as 5 to 10 years. Sealants should be checked at your regular dental appointment and can be reapplied if they are no longer in place.

A review study last fall by the Cochrane Collaboration, a group that evaluates medical research, found that 5- to 10-year-olds who used sealants had less than half the decay on biting surfaces five years after treatment than those who brushed regularly. But are they safe? Hermetically sealing a tooth may sound odd, but what has concerned researchers through the years is that dental sealants can contain the same chemicals that caused controversy when present in plastic baby bottles: bisphenol-A (BPA) or its chemical cousin, bisphenol-A dimethacrylate (BPA-DMA). Though still investigating, the FDA currently deems these compounds safe, but some researchers have impugned them in everything from diabetes, cancer and – most alarming for children – to accelerating the onset of puberty due to estrogen-like effects. The experts are still debating the safety of dental sealants. Ultimately it would have to be decision that you make with your child and dentist.(sources:http://www.animated-teeth.com/tooth_sealants/t2_dental_sealants.htm,http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janice-horowitz/dueling-docs-are-dental-s_b_314729.html,http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/publications/factsheets/sealants_faq.htm)

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