Dental Sealants for Childrens Teeth: What Are Your Thoughts?

My brother is a dentist and recommends it. I'll be doing it at the next appt. It should be done as soon as the 6 year old molars are fully erupted.

My son had his molars sealed when he was 8 years old. It's better then him getting cavities back there. They keep for a long time.

I have had enough medical scares of my own from google. Stop it. Not everything they put on the internet is true.

Sealants are great!
They really cut down on cavities and that means fewer fillings.
There are BPA free sealants.
A lot of the reports about it were from around 2009 - so they've had time to address the issue and make some that are BPA free.
Ask your dentist about what he uses and if it's not a BPA free brand, then ask if he can order and use a BPA free sealant for your daughter.

http://www.ultrasealxt.com/Pages/bpa-free-dental-sealant....

Don't let people discourage you from researching. Weren't we once told that MSG, BPA, etc...were all safe? How about mercury in vaccines? Where once docs assured us that the small amount of mercury was safe, now it's been completely removed because of health risks.

How easily people forget.

I love how people just assume that you are one of "those people who just believe whatever the internet tells you", yet they blindly believe whatever the pharmaceuticals tells them.

I firmly believe if something doesn't sound right to you, to check it out. Talk to people who are both FOR and AGAINST it. That's how most of us make informed choices. :)

I never even thought about researching it. I got sealants when I was 7-10. So, about 25 years ago.
I haven't had any problems, that I know of! I also have only had one cavity so far.
My kids all have sealants as well.
My thoughts...It's probably worse to breathe all the air outside than it is to get sealants.
L.

Kudos to you for doing your own research for the benefit of your children's health. I think it's great that you are questioning and concerned about what the mainstream pushes on us and our children. You don't have to get the sealant right now. Won't your child be going back again in 6 months for another cleaning? Do more research and find out what you want to do. I'm sure most of the respondants to your post use fluoride in their toothpaste for themselves and their children because dentists recommend it, and they also do fluoride treatments on their children at the dentist. Did you know fluoride was first used by the Nazis in Germany to calm and subdue to prisoners in concentration camps. Sorry but I don't want to use fluoride...I don't care what my dentist was taught in school. Doctor's are also taught to treat the symptoms, not to get to the root of the problem...I don't want my symptoms treated, I want to get to the root of the problem. My point is, you are your own best advocate for you and your children, don't let anyone, doctor or otherwise pressure you into getting something done that you're unsure of.
Best wishes!

ETA: Jane, I'm surprised that you take your dentists opinion to heart over doing your own research. The FDA has allowed GMO's to replace most of our produce and food, and they deem it "safe", yet you know better, right? Same goes with everything else. Question everything, maybe not out loud among everyone, but do a little research, it goes a long way. If you'd watched a documentary about BPA and it's dangers, I wonder if you'd reconsider getting those sealants on your little ones teeth just because your dentist (who gets guidelines from the FDA) says it's good and safe?

My stepdaughter had hers sealed. Her mother does not enforce proper hygiene and my stepdaughter eats a lot of sweets. We (my husband and I) figured my stepdaughter needed all the help she could get. Teeth are important and as my grandmother said you only get one real set so take extra good care of them. Make sure the dentist applying the sealant knows what he or she is doing so you don’t have issues like the ones AV mentioned. Good luck whatever you decide.

At my son's last checkup (he's 6) he had a cavity inbetween his teeth. (We're working on more flossing.) The dentist suggested the sealants on his molars, which wasn't on the tooth that has the cavity, and I have mixed feelings about it as well. Part of me thinks it could be a good idea, but on the other, I don't really want to add chemicals to his already sensitive little body, when they don't really know the effects/risks it has. And I wonder if its not just a bit of upselling for the dentist office so they can make a bit more money on something that they think is preventative and harmless. When I called to make the appt. for his cavity to be fixed, they acted like I was crazy that I didn't want the sealants as well. And she left open for me to change my mind. I don't think we're going to do it. I read a study that the sealants, w/BPA in it could cause hyperactivity and other behavioral issues with kids. I think they just don't know enough to risk it.

B is correct. Ask your Dentist if he/she uses BPA free sealants. They can show you the manufacturers sheet to verify. Because honestly, some DDS won't even know if it is in their sealant material they use. If it is, you can certainly ask that they order the BPA free material because you are more comfortable with it.

I am in the same boat as you. My daughter has had to have her 6yr molars done twice because they fell off the first time!! Well they have fallen off again!! They were done by 2 different dentist in 2 different states. Needless to say her old ped dentist was pushing me to do them plus the ones covered by insurance and I haven't done it yet. I've read about them and not sure if it is worth the headache and $$.

Now I've changed my kids' dentist and this one says they have fluoride in their sealants and wants to do my son's 6yr molars. I've never heard of fluoride in sealants before and I can't find anything out about it online either so I'm not sure if this something I'm willing to do to my son too.

What some of these mom's on here don't realize about fluoride is that it IS toxic and only effective if it is applied to the teeth, not injected. Fluoride ingestion has been linked to thyroid issues, diabetes and other major health problems. And just because a DR says it's good for you or safe doesn't make it so. It is up to us to make informative decisions because that DR is getting paid by some pharmaceutical company to recommend XY and Z to us.

I would say go with your gut feeling and ask questions if you aren't sure this is something you want to do to your child.

S.

Many kids have faulty pits in their molars. Did the dentist say your child had faulty pits? If so, this WILL lead to cavities, often large ones with large fillings (now you have mercury if that bothers you). If no faulty pits, then its a gamble on cavities. If they end up with large fillings in the molars, those fillings will eventually crack and often result in needing to cap the tooth. I wouldn't skip sealants if my dentist thought my kid needed them.

How does something MIX with saliva and become BPA?

Believe half of what you see and nothing of which you hear. (and stay off the internet for good measure!)

I think that people have cavities if they have weaker enamel. I think that's probably just part of life.

I would probably not go to this extreme. Especially since they don't know the long term effects that it can have on a person. If you really really want her to have this done then do it. I don't think I would though.

Ask the doctor if he uses this product:

http://www.septodontusa.com/products/toothfairy-bpa-free-...

Well worth having this done-I think out of my five children, one of them got a cavity. Healthy teeth are imperative for heart health.

Actually MSG and mercury in vaccines are safe. The questions about BPA are unknown - the evidence does not support real danger but the point is moot. Manufacturers pulled mercury and BPA due to fear among the public. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but I sure wouldn't point to it to prove any sort of point.

I got sealants as a child. I am 47 with no cavities. My son who is 7 has sealants and (so far) no cavities. I also had (gasp) fluoride in our municipal water supply.

I had not heard about BPA concerns. My stepkids both had them done years ago. My sister and I had them done years before that. I had a lot of issues as an adult with cracking and cavities getting under them (they were improperly done), but my stepkids and sister have been fine. My stepson hasn't had a single cavity in his life. My SD gets cavities on other surfaces, but not the molars. If you are concerned, don't get them done or ask about the product used. For us, we struggled with SD's brushing habits as well and were hoping it would help her not have as many cavities.

You can't believe everything on the internet but the doctors, dentists and "experts" don't always get it right, either. That's why they change their recommendations every few years.

Here's what happened to us: After years of cavities, and pressure from our dentist, I finally let her put sealants on my boys' molars. They didn't stick and had to be done again. And they didn't stick and I started to wonder where that sealant material was going and decided to give up on the sealants and make my boys brush their teeth better. My boys were getting older, were able to brush better and started to care about having gunk in their teeth. So that worked in our favor. No more cavities for the older, still an occasional cavity for the younger boy. But no more sealants.

If I were you, I'd worry more about her getting a mouthful of fillings. I've had sealants in my own mouth for 30 something years and I'm grateful for them.

Dawn

Hmm. Well I haven't read these studies either but it did pique my interest as to the validity and availability of such things. I will add this though...I think there is more to cavity prevention than sealers and such. I think, in addition to this BPA issue, you need to be researching whether or not these sealants really made a significant difference in preventing cavities. My periodontist told me that cavities are really more of a genetic thing. She said that most people are either prone to cavities or prone to gum disease and yes, of course, how you brush, floss, etc. makes a difference, and can make or break your dental experience but getting sealants may not be the best option (BPA or not) for every child.

Well, I'm 33 and I had mine done when I was 7. I've never had a cavity or any others problems.