Sealants and Protecting your Child from Cavities

As a parent, hearing that your child has a cavity is almost worse than hearing that you have a cavity. You wonder if the cavity is your fault — did you fail to teach your child proper oral hygiene? Should you have spent more time teaching him how to brush? Well, luckily, there are several ways, in addition to diligent oral hygiene, to protect your children's teeth from decay.

When your children are young, the newly erupted enamel of their teeth is more permeable and therefore more susceptible to tooth decay. As the enamel matures, it becomes stronger and more resistant to decay. Until this point, it is very important to protect the surfaces of your child's newly erupting teeth.

One way to protect the enamel is with fluoride, which makes the surface of enamel harder and less vulnerable to acid attack and decay. However, because of the deep pits and fissures in the teeth, they are still at high risk for decay and may need further protection. In these cases, we might recommend sealants, protective coatings placed in the pits and fissures of teeth to prevent decay. In doing so, these invisible coatings actually “seal” them from attack. The procedure is usually completely painless, and only occasionally, a very small amount of tooth enamel is removed. Though some children feel a quick tinge of cold during the procedure, this mild feeling is not enough to demand the use of numbing injections.

Generally, we will use sealants when we examine your child and find that decay is starting or likely to start in a tooth. However, in cases where children have a high risk of cavities, we may seal all permanent molar teeth and many baby molar teeth soon after eruption.

If you would like more information about sealants, please contact Dr. Cindy Sumarauw at 801-281-3500 to schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Sealants for Children.”

A Solution for your Chipped Tooth

Whether it's a chipped tooth or a cut in your mouth, there is nothing pleasant about experiencing a dental injury. The good news is that advances in modern dentistry ensure that we'll be able to fix the issue with minimal discomfort and maximum results. If you've suffered a chipped tooth as a result of an unfortunate accident, composite resin bonding may be the ideal solution to your problem. The procedure is simple and painless and, most importantly, you'll surely be pleased with the results.

Here's how it works. The bonding is actually a tooth-colored material that is a combination of plastic and glass. The composites come in a wide range of colors that allow us to create a bonding that is nearly identical to your natural tooth. Once we have the composite material, we will bond it to the tooth by slightly roughening the tooth so that the resin fills in small cuts in the tooth surface. We'll utilize a special light to activate the resin, helping it bond and set. Finally, we'll polish and buff your tooth for a smooth, natural finish.

The procedure will involve very little preparation (drilling) of the tooth structure. In addition, since placing composite resin does not require us to outsource to a laboratory, we can usually complete this procedure in just one short visit.

Composite resin bonding is an excellent solution for small chips to your tooth, but the more tooth structure that is lost, the less effective they become. While the material is durable, it is not as strong as the tooth structure it replaces. There are therefore, some disadvantages. A large amount of resin may not stand up to biting force over time, and the composite can also stain as it ages. When you come to our office for an appointment, we will evaluate whether porcelain restoration might be more suitable for a long-term material solution.

If you would like more information about bonding, please contact Dr. Cindy Sumarauw at 801-281-3500 to schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Repairing Chipped Teeth.”