Are Your Teeth Groovy?
We are not asking for the sake of that 70’s something,
or to have you act out your best Saturday Night Fever pose,
Groovy Teeth are Not Cool!
When teeth form, they do not all form alike,
they come in different shapes, sizes, shades
and have surfaces that can be more prone
to decay then others.
They are NOT All Created Equal!
Some people’s teeth (especially their back teeth A.K.A molars)
can have grooves, pits, fissures, and
crevices on the chewing surfaces.
Below is a picture of the chewing surface of a molar tooth
notice the stained groove-like fissure or crevice on the biting surface of the tooth.
These crevices are nearly impossible to clean!
Below is a cross-section of a tooth (which has been magnified)
along with one tooth brush bristle.
As you can see, it may be difficult to get your toothbrush into the groove, and almost impossible to reach the bottom of the crevice to clean.
But guess what?
Cavity causing bacteria can get to the bottom of that groove
Plaque loves to get it’s groove on!
This is the #1 place children get cavities.
This is where Sealants are the best thing to happen to Dentistry
since the discovery of Novacaine!
Sealants require no novacaine!
Now, that is something to dance over to your Dentists office about.
Sealants are applied to the chewing surfaces (filling the pits and fissures) of teeth.
These are the areas more prone to decay. The grooves that only bacteria can get into.
A Sealant acts as a barrier, it protects the teeth from plaque and acid!
It is applied to a clean, dry tooth. It flows into the crevice and is cured with a special light.
3 easy steps that can prevent a lifetime of tooth problems!
The sealed tooth looks like this
A sealant does NOT mean that a tooth will never get a cavity
it just gives it a better chance of not getting a cavity.
So if your teeth want to start singing
“Staying Alive” is Cool
and so are
Sealants!
photos courtesy of American Dental Association
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