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SEALANTS TREATMENT

What is a sealant?

Sealants are a thin coating painted on the chewing surfaces of teeth – usually the back teeth. The painted on sealant quickly bonds into the depressions and grooves of the teeth forming a protective shield over the enamel of each tooth.

Why get sealants?

Although brushing and flossing can remove food and plaque from the smooth surfaces of your child’s teeth, they cannot always get into all the nooks and crannies of the back teeth to remove the debris and plaque. Sealants protect these vulnerable areas from tooth decay by "sealing out" plaque and food.

Sealants have been clinically proven to be one of the most effective methods of preventing tooth decay. Effectiveness is further increased by retention and maintenance of the sealant.

How are sealants applied?

First the teeth that are to be sealed are thoroughly cleaned and isolated with a “rain coat” to keep them dry.

An acidic liquid is put on the chewing surfaces of the teeth to roughen them up, which helps the sealant bond to the teeth.

The teeth are then rinsed and dried.

Sealant is then painted onto the tooth enamel and hardened with our special curing light.

For More Information
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

Our sealants are guaranteed, provided that your child remains current with his or her six month check-up so that the sealant can be monitored and maintained properly. It also is recommended that your child refrain from chewing ice or hard candies.

Should the sealant fail and a restorative procedure become necessary, a full credit for the cost of the sealant will be allowed toward the cost of the restorative procedure. If, for any reason, the sealant would need to be replaced, this will be done with no charge to you.

INFORMATION ON NITROUS OXIDE

Nitrous Oxide is an analgesic agent which produces a conscious sedation. This means that although your child will be sedated, he/she will not be completely asleep, he/she will be able to respond appropriately to commands and physical stimulation. Nitrous Oxide will not be able to decrease feeling of pain (local anesthesia accomplishes this), but Nitrous Oxide will help your child to feel more relaxed, by producing a sense of calm. This in turn will help the child gain confidence by allowing him/her to have a more favorable dental experience, and eventually he/she should be able to have dental treatment without any sedation at all.

How Can I Help?

Answering your child’s questions

If your child is aware that he/she will be receiving Nitrous Oxide and wished to know how it will be administered, you can explain that a “clown nose” or “elephant trunk” will be placed over his/her nose, they will feel calm and relaxed like he/she is floating on air.

Eating and Drinking

Nitrous Oxide may cause nausea and/or heavy vomiting if administered on a full stomach. To help prevent this, please give the child a VERY LIGHT meal at least 2 hours prior to the appointment.

After Effects

Nitrous Oxide is administered to your child with Oxygen, and as soon as the appointment is over 100% Oxygen is given for approximately 5 minutes, so the effects of the Nitrous should be completely worn off by the time the patient leaves this office.

Change in Health

Since the effectiveness of Nitrous Oxide is dependent on the child being able to breathe through his/her nose, if the child has been congested or has a respiratory infection it may be wise to reschedule the appointment. Asthma does not hinder the effectiveness of Nitrous Oxide sedation.

Patient Acceptance

The best candidate would be old enough to accept the mask on his/her face (usually past the age of 3), and may be frightened, but not to the point of throwing a tantrum. Hysterical children would be unable to stop crying long enough for the Nitrous Oxide to take effect.

INSTRUCTIONS FOLLOWING TOOTH EXTRACTIONS

Pressure must be applied to the extraction site by biting down on gauze until the bleeding has stopped. This will usually be approximately 30 minutes for a primary tooth and probably about 1 hour for a permanent tooth. If bleeding persists, biting on a moistened tea bag should stop the bleeding fairly soon

Physical activity should be kept to a minimum for the remainder of the day. If the heart pumps too hard and blood pushes the blood clot loose, bleeding can occur.

A soft diet (soups, ice cream, etc.) is recommended following the extraction for the remainder of the day. A normal diet may be resumed the next day.

If pain or a fever is experienced, Tylenol can and should be taken. Follow dosage instructions on bottle.

Rinsing of the mouth and the use of straws should be avoided the day of the extraction. It can loosen the blood clot and start the bleeding again.

If permanent teeth have been extracted, sutures will usually be used to hasten healing. These are resorbable and will naturally be lost within a couple of days. No special attention is necessary.

SPACE MAINTAINERS

What is a space maintainer?

If your child loses a baby tooth early through decay or injury, the child's other teeth could shift and begin to fill the vacant space. When your child's permanent teeth emerge, there's not enough room for them. The result is crooked or crowded teeth and difficulties with chewing or speaking.

To prevent that, the dentist inserts a space maintainer. This will hold the permanent tooth’s spot until it is ready to come in. Once the permanent tooth starts to come in, the dentist will remove the space maintainer.

Some important information about space maintainers

Certain food items can cause breakage or loosening of appliances which can interfere with good progress, causing unwanted tooth movement, and cause tooth decay.

Food Items to Avoid:

• Sticky foods, such as caramels, taffy, etc.
• Gums; sugarless gum can be substituted if gum is really necessary.
• Very hard items such as ice, hard candy, pens, etc.

If you think something you want to eat may be damaging, AVOID IT!

Good oral hygiene is essential. Daily tooth-brushing and flossing is a must. The prevention of tooth decay and gum problems can be controlled with a few minutes of daily attention. Removable appliances should also be cleaned well every day.

If any appliances do become loose, come off, break, do not fit properly, or if you have any questions, please call us immediately!