Imagine if there was a way to protect your teeth, so bacteria don’t wreak havoc on your teeth. Would you go for it? Almost anything is possible with modern dental technology, even covering teeth to protect them from damage caused by bacteria. That’s why we offer dental sealants in Rancho Bernardo to cover and protect teeth from tooth cavities.

Even though your teeth are sturdy and can withstand a lot, they need extra care to ensure they last your lifetime. This is where dental sealants come in handy. Dental sealants are not new; they have been around for decades. But they are much better now since they release fluoride, which gives the teeth double protection.

We will see how dental sealants work in a bit, but for now, let’s see how cavities happen.

What Causes Cavities in the Mouth?

You must have heard your parents warn you about taking too much sugar since you will get cavities. That’s why most people steered away from taking sugary foods without knowing what cavities are and how they come about.

Cavities are areas of the tooth’s outer part that are permanently destroyed. They are also referred to as dental caries or tooth decay. When tooth decay happens, tiny holes form on your tooth’s surface, known as cavities.

Causes of dental cavities could include bacteria in your mouth, sipping sugary drinks, frequent snacking, and not properly cleaning your teeth.

Cavities don’t form overnight. It takes time for the enamel to get permanently damaged. When you eat food, bacteria will move in quickly to devour the food debris. If you don’t clean your teeth, plaque (a thin film comprised of bacteria, saliva, and food debris) begins to coat your teeth.

As time passes, plaque coats the teeth, eventually hardening to form calculus (tartar). When tartar forms, you must visit our dentist since you cannot remove tartar safely at home.

Bacteria will continue its destructive work by converting carbohydrates into acids that erode the teeth.

These acids remove the minerals from the enamel, weakening it every minute. Once they breach through the outer layer of the tooth, holes begin to form, causing cavities. If you don’t get treatment, bacteria will continue to digest carbs in your mouth, leading to further destruction.

In no time, your tooth becomes sensitive since the inner parts of the tooth are exposed. The next thing you know, the same infection has reached the roots.

How to Get Rid of Cavities

Please don’t wait for symptoms such as pain to compel you to visit our dentist to get treatment for dental cavities. Prevention is always the cheapest and easiest way to deal with cavities. It doesn’t mean the story is complete if you have dental cavities.

Our dentist can help you improve your oral health by performing any of the following treatments:

• Fluoride Treatments – These are offered when cavities are in their infancy. Fluoride will help replace the missing minerals, strengthening the tooth.
• Fillings – When the cavities have progressed, there’s no reversing it. Therefore, our dentist will remove the damaged part and fill the space using a tooth filling.
• Crowns. If you have not dealt with tooth decay by using fillings, the cavities will wreak more havoc, and the damage will be more extensive. So, our dentist will remove the decayed area of the enamel, shape the tooth, and then cover it using crowns.
• Root canals. Once the enamel has been breached, it’s only a matter of time before the decay reaches the roots. If this happens, our dentist must remove the roots to eliminate the infection. Then, use a gutta-percha and tooth filling to cover the space occupied by the roots.
• Tooth Extractions. Sometimes the damage to your teeth could be too extensive that no treatment would work. So, the only option left will be to remove the tooth.

Do Dental Sealants Prevent Cavities?

Your premolars and molars are more susceptible to dental cavities than the other teeth. These teeth have deep pits and grooves that provide the perfect hiding place for bacteria and food debris.

So, sealants are painted over the pits and grooves of your back teeth. Teeth sealants are in liquid form and are made from composite resin. Once our dentist paints the sealant over the teeth, it hardens. They adequately cover the back teeth’s chewing surfaces, making it almost impossible for food debris and bacteria to hide.

They can prevent 80% of cavities for two years after they have been applied. Sealants will continue to prevent up to 50% of the cavities up to five years after application.

So, dental sealants can prevent cavities. Contact us at the Center for Oral Health if you want to use dental sealants.