{"id":5309,"date":"2021-03-27T11:35:53","date_gmt":"2021-03-27T18:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carolinacompletedental.com\/?p=5309"},"modified":"2025-05-05T18:23:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T18:23:08","slug":"dental-sealants-keep-cavities-at-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/dental-sealants-keep-cavities-at-bay\/","title":{"rendered":"Dental Sealants Keep Cavities at Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A trip to the dentist should be a pleasant experience. That\u2019s what we want for our kids: happy associations with that twice-annual visit to <a href=\"\/about-us\/\">Drs.&nbsp;Bargainier, and Zuffi<\/a>. Nothing ruins the good feeling at a dental visit faster than the dreaded words, \u201cI found a cavity.\u201d A cavity in a baby tooth is bad news, but not the end of the world. A cavity in a newly erupted permanent tooth is more cause for concern.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So what is a cavity? How do they form? And, what can we do to keep them from ever getting started?&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>What is a Cavity?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Simply, a cavity, also known as dental caries, is a hole in the tooth enamel. A tooth has an outer layer of hard enamel surrounding an inner layer of dentin, which covers the tooth pulp, which contains blood vessels and a nerve. A cavity forms when the enamel is weakened then fails and no longer covers the dentin.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A small cavity can usually be drilled to remove any decayed portion and stop further decay, then filled with strong material, like resin, to re-strengthen the remaining tooth with a <a href=\"\/services\/family-dentistry\/#ToothColoredFillings\">tooth-colored filling<\/a>. A larger cavity might require more extensive drilling and different materials to strengthen it. A very large cavity might need a <a href=\"\/services\/oral-surgery\/#RootCanals\">root canal<\/a>, where the inside of the tooth is removed and the whole tooth is filled.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>How Do Cavities Form?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cavities form when bacteria grow on the tooth and produce acid, softening the enamel and weakening it until it fails. Some children have more cavity-forming bacteria and acid in their mouths and are more likely to develop cavities.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Highly acidic environments, which tend to occur in the mouth after eating, encourage the cavity-causing bacteria to grow. So, children who are frequent snackers or drink milk or juice between meals are more likely to develop cavities. So-called \u201cbottle mouth\u201d or \u201cbaby bottle tooth decay\u201d occurs when small children sleep with a bottle or sippy cup, keeping the acid levels in their mouth high and aiding the growth of bad bacteria.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Poor brushing technique is the best-known cause of cavities. The bacteria stick to the tooth surface, but debris left after brushing is much easier to stick to. This allows the bacteria to grow faster, sticking to the leftovers and creating plaque buildup, which further encourages bacteria and causes tooth decay. That\u2019s why it is so important to help children learn proper brushing technique and proper oral care habits.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>What Can We Do to Prevent Cavities?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It turns out, there\u2019s quite a bit we can do to prevent cavities. First, teach your children proper brushing habits and techniques. Encourage young children to rinse with water immediately after eating, particularly after eating sugary snacks and juice.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still, as bad as a cavity in a baby tooth can be, and they can be a major pain, we want to do everything we can to prevent decay in permanent teeth. This is where dental sealants can play a big role.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mouthhealthy.org\/en\/az-topics\/s\/sealants\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dental sealant<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a thin layer of protective material that is applied to the permanent molars in the back of the mouth. It provides extra protection to those tricky-to-brush teeth and helps keep them healthy for a lifetime. Ideally, sealants should be applied as soon as the molars come in (six years old for the first set of permanent molars) to keep any decay from starting.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Do Sealants Actually Make a Difference?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Studies have shown dental sealants can make a really big difference. The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CDC<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reports that children without sealants have almost three times more cavities than children with sealants. Research shows that a tooth with a sealant has an 80% lowered cavity risk. Given what we know about how effective sealants can be, they are definitely worth considering to keep permanent teeth healthy.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask at your child\u2019s next dental visit if they are a good candidate for dental sealants. If you have any questions about sealants or would like to schedule a visit with your Goose Creek<\/span>&nbsp;dentist, Drs.&nbsp;Bargainier, and Zuffi at Carolina Complete Dental, please <a href=\"\/contact-us\/\">contact us today to schedule an appointment<\/a>. We would be more than happy to help your little one keep tooth decay at bay!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A trip to the dentist should be a pleasant experience. That\u2019s what we want for our kids: happy associations with that twice-annual visit to Drs.&nbsp;Bargainier, and Zuffi. Nothing ruins the good feeling at a dental visit faster than the dreaded words, \u201cI found a cavity.\u201d A cavity in a baby tooth is bad news, but [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5311,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[75],"class_list":["post-5309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-dental-services","tag-sealants"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dental Sealants for Kids in Goose Creek, SC | Carolina Complete Dental<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Goose Creek dentist, Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams at Carolina Complete Dental explains dental sealants and how they can help kids keep tooth decay and cavities away.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/dental-sealants-keep-cavities-at-bay\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dental Sealants for Kids in Goose Creek, SC | Carolina Complete Dental\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Goose Creek dentist, Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams at Carolina Complete Dental explains dental sealants and how they can help kids keep tooth decay and cavities away.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/dental-sealants-keep-cavities-at-bay\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Carolina Complete Dental Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-27T18:35:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta 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