Tooth sealants

[indimom]

Worth it. (Our insurance paid 100%) But knowing the results now, I'd be more than willing to pay for it.

I'm a little embarassed to admit this, but our daughter was 3 when I first noticed a yellow-brown spot on a back molar, took her for her first dental visit; and she had FOUR cavities and one tooth so bad we had to get a crown! I was shocked. We NEVER did bottles in bed, didn't allow a lot of candy and didn't serve juice or koolaid. He said she had deep grooves and poor enamel, I think?? We were on untreated well water at the time, so no flouride either.

Anyway, we fixed her teeth and got them sealed. Absolutely no problems in the 10 years since. DS has never had a cavity and never had them sealed, so I guess it really was just that her teeth are bad. I'm certain the sealant made all the difference for her.

 

[summersalt]

I have a 28 year old DS and a 14 year old DD. Both have the sealtants and have never had any cavities. No problems at all.

 

[amshowers]

I had both my boy's teeth done, my dental insurance covered it. Call your insurance company they may pay part, I was actually surprised it was covered by my insurance.

 

[wmharley]

When I was younger we had it applied to any back tooth with the grooves. It was brushed on in the grooves.

My DD5 just did it, and from my wife, it was brushed on all the teeth, and using UV light, it hardened and set over all her teeth.

IT was paid completely by insurance.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

We're having it done on my son's baby teeth as well as his adult ones. The dentist told me he doesn't usually do baby teeth, but seeing as how my son is diabetic, and gets juice at night to bring up his blood sugar when he's low, that it would be a good idea to do the baby teeth as well.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

Yes it's worth it. That's not a bad price either. It's $56 a tooth at my kids dentist($12 copay for us) They are so worth it.

 

[2luvmickey]

All three DS have had sealants (our insurance pays for them up to age 15). Do you know how many cavities my children have had total? ZERO

I, on the other hand, am a "queen" since I have so many crowns in my mouth. Sure wish my parents had the option of sealants way back when...

A few times, one DS had a problem with the sealant staying on. The tooth has to be completely dry before it is applied. As soon as he lost that sealant, I took him back to the dentist for a new one.

Mind you, they are not permanent and will last anywhere from three to five years, depending. Is it worth it? Yep, considering the cost of filling a cavity is much more than the sealant.

 

[princessmorgan]

I just got back from having DD's done. She's five and the dentist recommended it. It took 10 minutes. DD just complained it tasted bad. $22 sounds like a good price. My insurance company just paid $256 for 4 teeth.

 

[cbg1027]

My mom had sealant put on my molars back in the early 90's. I had ONE cavity as a child. Now, I was pretty good about dental hygiene for a kid, but it certainly seemed to work for me. I'm 25 now and have great healthy teeth and hardly ever get cavaties. The ones that I do get my dentist claims are a result from having the brackets of my braces on for so long.

 

[foxfire]

Absolutely, completely, and totally worth it and it is safe.

The dentist suggested before my DS began losing his baby teeth that he be started with sealant as soon as his permanent teeth started coming in. We followed that suggestion and DS, now 37, has never had a cavity. He has had to have the sealant redone on a couple of teeth over the years but that was no biggie. I just wish the sealant was available when I was growing up.

 

[baby]

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/BisphenolA_FactSheet.html

National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals
Fact Sheet

Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to manufacture polycarbonate plastics. This type of plastic is used to make some types of beverage containers, compact disks, plastic dinnerware, impact-resistant safety equipment, automobile parts, and toys. BPA epoxy resins are used in the protective linings of food cans, in dental sealants, and in other products.

How People Are Exposed to BPA
General exposure to BPA at low levels comes from eating food or drinking water stored in containers that have BPA. Small children may be exposed by hand-to-mouth and direct oral (mouth) contact with materials containing BPA. Dental treatment with BPA-containing sealants also results in short-term exposure. In addition, workers who manufacture products that contain BPA can be exposed.

How BPA Affects People's Health
Human health effects from BPA at low environmental exposures are unknown. BPA has been shown to affect the reproductive systems of laboratory animals. More research is needed to understand the human health effects of exposure to BPA.

Levels of BPA in the U.S. Population
In the Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals (Fourth Report), CDC scientists measured BPA in the urine of 2,517 participants aged six years and older who took part in CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) during 2003–2004. By measuring BPA in urine, scientists can estimate the amount of BPA that has entered peoples' bodies.

CDC scientists found BPA in the urine of nearly all of the people tested, which indicates widespread exposure to BPA in the U.S. population.

Finding a measurable amount of BPA in the urine does not mean that the levels of BPA cause an adverse health effect. Biomonitoring studies on levels of BPA provide physicians and public health officials with reference values so that they can determine whether people have been exposed to higher levels of BPA than are found in the general population. Biomonitoring data can also help scientists plan and conduct research on exposure and health effects.


For More Information

* Department of Health and Human Services
Bisphenol A (BPA) Information for Parents
http://www.hhs.gov/safety/bpa/

* Food and Drug Administration
Food Ingredients & Packaging | Bisphenol A
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/ucm166145.htm

Update on Bisphenol A (BPA) for Use in Food: January 2010
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm064437.htm

* National Toxicology Program
Bisphenol A Fact Sheet
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/docs/bpa-factsheet.pdf (PDF)

 

[rainydayplay]

Absolutely worth it! My teeth have the sealants, and have never had a cavity (where the sealants are, anyway). My current dentist praises those seals everytime I go in for a checkup. I won't bat an eye when he says it's time to get DD's done.

 

[hamrinton]

Ya, off-course you can have the tooth sealed so that the don't get affected by the germs and also don't get decayed. You can ask your doctor to cost some less amount but you should surely get your child teeth sealed.

 

[Penelope2000]

Yes, yes, yes. Worth every penny. My ds has had the sealant, and twice it partially came off. One time he had a cavity, from the sealant coming off, and the dental office filled it for free, then re-sealed the tooth.

I would be very careful with my records, and ask what the warranty is. And ask lots of questions. He also had teeth sealed in February, then had a recent tooth cleaning, and they found a cavity. My dh had taken him, and forgotten this. We called, they looked it up, and yes, I was correct. They said they would grind a little, then reseal the tooth. HOWEVER, when I brought him in, I asked to speak with the dentist first, (a different one - it is a large practice) to clarify this. They had everything out to fill a cavity. I went over the conversation again, they re-looked at his tooth, and the xrays, and the dentist said that it was actually a piece of the sealant from the center of the tooth which had popped off - this can happen with deep crevices. They would re-seal his tooth with no cost.

I know that this has saved us a lot of money, because his teeth appear "soft" - he cleans them well, but has deep crevices, and has had 3 cavities. Sealant is a lot, lot less expensive and intrusive than cavities.

 

[bartleby1]

$22 per sealant sounds like a bargain!! My kids dentist charges $90 per tooth. I did have my kids teeth sealed and I do think it has prevented cavities. They all have deep grooves in their molars like I do, but my mouth is loaded with old silver fillings which are now breaking down and I'm cracking my teeth due to it. I definitely love that the sealants are preventing cavities for my kids and hopefully they won't be dealing with crowns and broken teeth later in life.

However, I have heard recently about the BPA in the sealants which does concern me. I am going to ask their dentist about that next time we go.