Cavities are considered a chronic childhood disease — the number one most common chronic disease your child can get. At Dental Town DC, our team ensures that you and your family get the best and latest in dental and oral health care.
Even Small Cavities Are a Big Problem
When your child eats and doesn’t brush their teeth afterward, bacteria feed on the sugars and starches left on their teeth and produce acid that breaks down teeth and causes decay. Having cavities on baby teeth also increases the risk of developing cavities on permanent teeth.
Sealants Protect the Teeth
Sealants are a protective, liquid coating that hardens over your child’s teeth, forming a thin, plastic-like coating. The coating protects the crevices, valleys, and grooves in molars that are difficult to reach with a toothbrush. According to the CDC, dental sealants prevent 80% of cavities for two years after application, and continue to protect against 50% of cavities for four years.
About 60% of children between the ages of 6 and 11 get dental sealants, and the cost is usually covered by dental insurance. We recommend your child get sealants as soon as their first set of molars emerge, around age six. When the second set of molars comes in around age 12, get sealants on those teeth too. Sealants aren’t a replacement for healthy oral habits — your child should still brush twice a day, floss once a day, and visit us twice a year. Find out how Dental Town DC can help keep your child’s teeth cavity-free.