Dental sealants for kids (on baby teeth)?

Can someone explain to me the importance of putting dental sealants on kids baby teeth. My kids%26#039; hygienist %26quot;strongly recommends%26quot; I get them for several of my kids%26#039; molars. I don%26#039;t see the point when they are gonna fall out in a few years anyway. My kids have never had any cavities or other dental problems.





My hesitation is because I%26#039;m a %26quot;working-poor%26quot; single mom with no insurance; so can someone convince me why this is a necessary expence?

Dental sealants for kids (on baby teeth)?
I rarely if ever seal primary teeth. If there is a cavity, it gets treated though--unless I expect the tooth to be lost within a couple of months.


It is particularly important to treat decay in the primary second molars (fifth or last baby tooth from the front) because premature loss (average is they%26#039;re lost about age 12) can allow the permanent six year molar to drift forward and block out the developing second premolar.


If the second primary molar is lost early, it is important to place a space maintainer to prevent movement of the permanent 6-year molar.


I know this is more than you asked for, but you need to know the dangers of premature loss of at least SOME of the primary teeth.





Steve Bornfeld, DDS
Reply:It is not necessary and I would find a different dentist office. You are being hustled. Very common in dentistry today. There are some children with problem teeth that may benefit from that, but most kids, it%26#039;s a waste. Sealants are very valuable, but only on adult teeth, rarely baby teeth.





My respect for dentistry as a profession has really taken a hit. So many of these dental shops push services that are not necessary, but knowing that you won%26#039;t get a second opinion are pretty confident that you will be %26#039;scared%26#039; into taking it. I was told that I needed a crown. Got another opinion. Nope. Just a resin filling and I was good to go for $1000 less. Another place (I moved) told me I needed an $850 gum procedure before they could replace a filling. The Univ. of MN dental clinic said absolutely not.
Reply:My kids have dental sealants. It supposed to prevent cavities. I am assuming it%26#039;s so they won%26#039;t have to go through the ordeal of having to have fillings, caps, or even have them pulled out. Trust me, both of my kids had to have teeth pulled and filled and it wasn%26#039;t a pleasant experience. I would wait til the start of a cavity if you cannot afford it. But here in KY we automatically get insurance for the kids til they are 18 or 21 (forgot which) . Maybe look into that where you are from.
Reply:it%26#039;s not necessary. you%26#039;re right, the teeth will fall out. they tried this with my mom when i was little and she waited until all my adult teeth came in and then i got the sealants. just make sure your kids remember to take care of their teeth!
Reply:it isn%26#039;t necessary. As long as your children brush their teeth daily and has regular check ups I would not incur that expense on baby teeth.
Reply:the ones they seal don%26#039;t fall out for years ( I actually thought they only sealed the permanant . Mine had the 6 year old molars sealed. If they do fall out I don%26#039;t think it is till they are 12 or so) and the cost is cheaper most times compaired to the cost of a filling. It is a choice you need to make yourself. Would your dentist let you pay it off? But brushing twice a day will not stop decay in some. People like me have deep fissures in the teeth and no amount of brushing would stop it. If i had mine sealed as a kid I would not have the mouthfull of fillings i do
Reply:Funny, I%26#039;ve never heard of this practice in the UK - why not, because our kids%26#039; dental treatment is free.





I would not do this unless the DENTIST recommends it because your kids have a particular problem. Ask the hygenist why she recommends it - are the teeth an unusual shape or something? Are your kids bad at brushing them? If so, she should be teaching them to care for their teeth properly as a life skill, not trying to guilt-trip you into spending a lot of money.





Do be careful in general of the %26quot;going to fall out anyway%26quot; argument, though - if your kids need actual treatment on their baby teeth, they should have it, because problems can move down into the gum and/or jaw and affect the developing second teeth.
Reply:Molars don%26#039;t fall out early like the front teeth do. Try comparing the cost of a seal to that of a filling/root canal/crown.



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