Sealing Molars

It is so funny, that this has come up. My 7 year old had a molar sealed back in Feb. This past June, she began complaining of that same tooth hurting. Well, we went to the dentist and becasue the tooth was sealed, we could not floss back there and some plaque formed creating a cavity. It is possible that if the tooth had not been sealed and we were able to floss there, this would not have happened. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I can testify that it is worth it. I had my molars sealed when I was young, and I do not have ANY cavities/fillings in my mouth, and I'm 42! I had my childrens' molars sealed and I hope it will have the same result it did for me. Good luck

I had my molars sealed when I was a kid, and have only had 2 cavities - both being in those molars. One dentist told me it was a bad idea because it can actually trap bacteria under the sealing, hence my cavities. I would do some research to make sure that the latest data is for still sealing teeth, and that this isn't an outdated practice.

I am 26 years old and had mine sealed in my young teans. I don't have any cavities on those teeth. I would recommend doing it and when my son is old enough I will definately have it done to his teeth.

Deep molars are a trait in my family and when I was about 5 or 6 which was about 25 years ago, my mother had my molars sealed. It does last only about 10 years (I think) and for about that period of time I had no cavaties. I have since got about 2 or 3 fillings, but considering that I'm 30 its really not bad. So I would definately recommend getting it. My daughter pediatric dentist put a similar sealant on her teeth as well. You can tell your husband that it did work well for me.

I had my molars sealed as a child. I'm 33 and no cavities today! I don't think your dentist is really trying to scam you....they're looking out for your child's best interest.

I don't have experience but I read the advice below and I strongly feel that it is genetic. I never had any sealant, and I had my first cavity when I was 21. I've still only had three cavities so far at age 31, and none of those are in molars. I think it's worth a second opinion from a dental professional. People seem to have different experiences, some good and some bad, with sealing. But just because some haven't gotten cavities until later in life, does not mean that it was because they had sealed teeth.

Hi Patti,
Sealers are not permenant, they do wear off....Given that you are a stay-at-home mom, and i'm sure heathy habits are practiced (brushing, not too much candy) then it is definately not necessary for the 4 year old to receive these sealants.

On the other hand for the 7 year old I would seriously consider it. At that age they are usually at prime candy eating age. Though we teach them good habits they are in school a good portion of the day. At which time lot of kids love to share their snacks....

I hope that information was helpful, it worked for my kids and all are cavity free :o)

Good Luck!
T. G.

Hi Patti, I have 3 kids & the older 2 have them sealed. My daughters teeth are very prone to cavities so I figured it couldn't hurt. My son's are stronger but we had them sealed anyway. My father was a dentist on the old fashioned side & recommended it as well. The cost is alot I know, but the cost to fill cavities or cap the molars is alot more, trust me!

My sisters are 18 and 16 ( i am 30 ) and they both had this done when they were little Never limited on any food they could eat as far as chewy or sticky or what not. They have Had no cavities except for in their front teeth where they never had them sealed. I think i remember having to have them done a few time or being told it may have to be done every so many years. But I do know they have had no issues with them and No "missed spots"

B.

Both my brother and I had our molars sealed when we were little. I'm now 34 and my brother is 32. I don't have any cavities, but my brother has a couple, none of which are in the molars he had sealed. We only had them applied once and have never restricted our diets because of them (maybe for that first week).

P.,
The money we spent for sealants for our 3 kids was some of the best $ spent at the dentist. Their teeth have done great. Their teeth were sealed when they were young, and it has made a difference for all of them (they are now in their 20's and 30's).
We were told to watch/ avoid chewing on ice and popcorn.
Good luck.

Hi P.--
For what it's worth, when I was little, my dentist said that as my molars (and a few other teeth, too) were coming in that they had very deep grooves. He said that it would be extremely hard for me to keep my teeth clean enough to prevent decay, so the first ones were actually done as fillings. Once "sealing" became a possibility, the remainder of my molars were all sealed. To date, at age 35, I have never had a problem with the fillings or sealings; they have never failed; and they all did what they were intended to do.

Hope this helps some.

I am 41 years old. My mother had my teeth sealed when I was a kid and I have never had a single cavity. I am having my child's permanent teeth sealed as they come in. I highly recommend it.

It is NOT a scam. My siblings and I had sealance done when we were kids and never got cavities. Not one! This is distinct from some of my friends and even my husband who had lots of cavities and no sealance. Its worth the cost!

Hi P.:

As soon as my kids are old enough they will be getting their molars sealed - - I am a huge advocate! I am 35 years old and my brother is 32. When we were kids, we had our sealed. To this day, neither one of us have a single cavity (knock on wood :) ) and we both attribute it to having the sealants when we were kids and eating all the rotten stuff kids do. My dentist is a huge fan of them as well, and that means a lot to me. Tell your husband you will spend far more than $145 on fillings if you don't do it.

At 49, I have a mouth of metal because of cavities, so I jumped at the chance to get our son's teeth sealed. He's twelve and still doesn't have a single cavity.

Personally, some of it is genetics but I think the sealants go a long way to preventing cavities. My parents were born in the 1920s. My mom had a mouth of metal but my dad's first cavity was in college. That being said, my husband and I both have mouths of metal from cavities and I wanted to give our son every chance possible to prevent cavities.

It's a simple process. See the links below:
http://www.animated-teeth.com/tooth_sealants/t1_sealing_t...
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/nidcr2.nih.gov/Templates/CommonP...

As far as I'm concerned, it's not a scam and money well spent. If you have health insurance, it also may cover it. Ask.

Hi P.,

I have had both of my children's teeth sealed. My son is 16 and my daughter is 12 and they have never had a cavity. I think that it is a great thing. It is worth the expense.

Good luck!!

M. G.

My experience is exactly the opposite of Rachel's. My 10 year old had it done three years ago and my 5 year old twins had it done last year. They have had stellar exams since day one but to me and DH it's definitely worth it. The sealants are not difficult to apply and the odds of missing a spot are slim to none (especially if you go to a good dentist, the hygienist should not be applying it). FWIW, we only paid $60 for four teeth. Check around, $145 is expensive. Oh, and there are no limitations as to what your child can eat as far as I know. We were never told that and we haven't limited the kids either and we've had no issues.

Depends. Has your son lost his baby teeth? If not, don't bother it is a waste of money. If he has maybe it is a good idea to do this. It doesn't hurt to protect his teeth. (if they are his adult teeth)

My daughters used to have lots of cavities..until she got her sealants...! I think it's worth it.

Here's the thing unless they get a 100% seal the chance of cavities increases because food and stuff gets trapped underneath them and now your child will have to avoid all chewy things because they can get pulled off so that means no fruit snack, taffy, candy apples, gum, and the list goes on. We were told unless your child is prone to cavities because of certain conditions that cause softened enamel then you shouldn't do it.
Edited: when I asked the dentist we were told no gooey chewy candy/gum/or foods once you get them because they can get pulled off. I want to add I never had a cavity until I was 13 and it was a year after I had sealant done on one of the molars I had it done on. DH never had sealant and hasn't ever had a cavity its genetics and good oral health care that prevent cavities. Besides sealant are bad for you. They contain BPA that is released by your saliva. You probably like most have switched to cups that are bpa free so why put it in your childrens mouthes.

If you go ahead with using a sealant, make SURE that your dentist is NOT using a sealant that contains BPA (Bisphenol A) which mimics estrogen. BPA is found in many plastics. It's one thing to play with a BPA plastic in a toy, it's another thing in your mouth. Although most studies have shown only tiny amounts of BPA leaching into a child's system due to sealants, there are sealants out there that are free of BPA, so why risk it?? We are exposed to all kinds of things so my approach is to limit is whenever possible. Here's some info. to get you started on researching the kind of sealant that will serve your child's health best.

http://www.non-toxickids.net/2009/01/bpa-in-dental-sealan...

GOOD LUCK!!!

Go for it! At least for the 7 year old, your 4 year old should wait a few more years. My parents had my teeth sealed when I was 8 years old and I never got any cavaties since. They do where out, so make sure that you keep up with there appointments to the dentist every 6 months for regular cleanings. I had a few teeth re-sealed recently.....so worth it!

I think the benefit may depend a little bit on the genetics of your child's teeth. I talked to my dentist about it - who, by the way, did not push for it one way or the other, in fact, I felt he would have just as soon not done it - but I pretty much insisted on getting it done. Both my kids have teeth with huge "crevices" in them - makes it virtually impossible to get the food out. It was really evident if they'd eaten something dark - like an Oreo cookie. No matter how long they brushed - even with an electric toothbrush - the cookie would still be stuck in their teeth. I'd have to have them chew a piece of gum so the gum would reach down in and pull out the cookie. Now that their teeth are sealed we don't have that problem anymore. It is so much better with the sealants, I can't tell you how happy I am that we did it. The dentist told me the deep crevices are just a genetic trait and some kids teeth are like that. If your kids have that problem, do no hesitate - RUN to get them sealed. If not, I think it is a more complicated assessment, but I think like you - $145 isn't much in the long run given the prevention of cavities (and paying for fillings will far outway the $145)

I have had a similar experience to most of the other people. I had mine sealed two or three times during childhood and have had no cavities. I was not restricted on what I could eat. I definitely think it was worth it. It's a much easier process than having a cavity filled.

I have 4 children. 3 of them had their teeth sealed about 10 years ago and 1 did not. The one not sealed has not gotten any cavities either, just like the other 3. The sealant only lasts so many years too...Ask your dentist. If your child is prone to cavities...I'd get them sealed!! If not...just make sure they brush well and have regular checkups. You can have them sealed anytime if you chose or see that they may need it. I don't think that they can seal the tooth after it has had a filling...but you can ask your dentist. The cost of $145.00 for all 4 teeth sounds about right.
Good Luck!
S.

definitely do it!!! My son had cavities in his baby teeth and anything to prevent them in the adult teeth is a GREAT idea!!!!

It's not a scam! My son is 20 and only has 1 cavity - and that's in the tooth where the sealant fell off. The cavity was probably about the cost of the sealant, and over time, he'll have to have that filling redrilled and replaced. Cavity prevention is a huge deal, and especially with little kids who don't brush so well, it's a great thing. Does your husband have any cavities in his molars? Probably yes, most of us do, and in every molar! 'Nuff said!

We got our sons 6 yr molars sealed. My son is extremely prone to cavities and has had quite a few in the past but he NEVER got a cavity is any of the teeth he had sealed. I think is was defiantely worth it.

Get it done ASAP. Fillings can cost $100 each. You'll will save yourself more money than you spend...no cavitites. They do need to be re-applied every 3-5 years. I never restricted my children from sticky foods and we've never had a cavity.

Good morning P.,

Sealing molars has been around for quite some time.

In fact, I'm 32 years old and had my molars sealed when I was your sons age. I never had my first cavity until I was 23 so I would say it is very well worth it! Not to mention I have never had a cavity in those back molars.

I would strongly encourage you to have the procedure done for your son.

After all adult teeth are an investment he will have for the rest of his life.

Have a great day!
C.

Hi P.,
I read a lot of your responses and now wish my parents had sealed my teeth as a child. I am 39 with a mouth full of silver and am now looking at paying the cost to swap out some of my childhood silver filling because they only last so long. I have 20 month old twins and when the time come I will definitely have their teeth sealed. Thanks for asking this great question.
L.

Hi P. B

I had my molars sealed when I was child; I am now 33 yrs old and have NEVER had a cavity! I don't think it's a scam; I would go for it and save the money filling those cavities later. It's absolutely worth it!

S. M

I would do it, My mom had mine done and I NEVER EVER got a cavatiy EVER I had asked about doing them with my daughter but they told me to wait till ALL her adult teeth are in.
Im in CT with a 7 year old daughter and a 2 month old son!

Hi P.,
My brother-in-law is a dentist. He insists my kids teeth are sealed. It doesn't hurt and it saves them so much pain in the long run.
D. C. Mom of 4

I had my teeth sealed as a 13 year old and I am sure that it prevented a lot of cavities and strife. I would do it to my son if he needs it. It was also a whole lot easier to keep my teeth clean.