Our dental team strongly encourages our patients to be proactive with their oral health. This means brushing and flossing daily, limiting sugary and acidic foods and drinks, and coming in at least twice a year for dental checkups and cleanings. When you come in, we also may suggest dental sealants or fluoride treatments if your teeth need extra protection.
Dental Sealants
Taking good care of your molars located in the back of your mouth is important because you rely on them to chew your food properly so you can get the most nutrients out of your diet. While generally strong, your molars also have ridges and grooves known as cusps which break down your food. However, those same cusps are prone to trapping stray food particles, oral acids and dental plaque in them, leaving you prone to potential cavities.
Thanks to dental sealants which may be applied to the top surface of your molars after you come in for a dental cleaning, you won’t have to worry about them getting cavities. This clear or tooth-colored resin varnish will protect your molars from getting tooth decay and takes only minutes to apply. Once applied, this protective coating will keep out harmful oral bacteria and bits of food particles that could otherwise be trapped in the unprotected pits and grooves of the molars. Another reason dental sealants are beneficial is that without that added protection, your molars are so much harder to clean because it’s hard for your toothbrush to get to those surfaces in the back of your mouth. This is another reason why we highly recommend dental sealants for children as soon as their permanent molars come in.
Fluoride
The second protective measure we offer to prevent the weakening of tooth enamel, cavities and tooth decay is applying fluoride varnish. That’s because when teeth have too much demineralization without enough remineralization to protect the tooth enamel layer, cavities can result. With the help of fluoride, the enamel will stay stronger and able to resist acid attacks stemming from oral bacteria and sugars in your mouth. If your child is under 6 years old, applying fluoride can protect developing permanent teeth to keep demineralization of their teeth from happening. Fluoride protects teeth no matter what your age!
Adults, as well as children, benefit from fluoride protection, especially when struggling with sensitive teeth, thin tooth enamel or excessive enamel erosion from bruxism (chronic teeth grinding) making you prone to tooth decay and cavities. As we mentioned in a previous blog, we offer fluoride in a variety of pleasant flavors, including mint, bubble gum, grape, and strawberry shortcake.
Call Today!
If you would like to have dental sealants or fluoride applications done for yourself or your child for healthier teeth in Frisco, Texas, we invite you to give our Family Dentistry of Frisco team a call today at (469) 362-3150. We look forward to helping you schedule your visit with Dr. Paresh B. Patel!
