02/28/2022
Today is the last day of February which means 2 things, 1, it's almost Spring! πΊ and 2, it's the last day of Children's Dental Health Awareness Month! π¦·
For our 3rd and final installment post for Children's Dental Health month we will be talking today about the importance of both Sealants and Fluoride for children.
What are Sealants and Fluoride? Fluoride is a mineral found naturally in things such as water, rocks, soil, plants and even air. It's also a mineral found in your bones and your teeth. Dentists use fluoride to help strengthen enamel and to help prevent cavities. Small amounts of fluoride is also commonly found in various different toothpastes and mouthwashes. Fluoride can be applied to your child's teeth as early as 6 months old. Sealants are thin, protective plastic coatings put on your child's molars to help prevent cavities as they grow. According to the CDC, "Once applied, sealants protect against 80% of cavities for 2 years and continue to protect against 50% of cavities for up to 4 years." Sealants are applied after your child's 1st permanent molars come in which should be around age 6 and then again around age 12 for their 2nd permanent molars.
Both of these treatments are done to help prevent cavities from forming and other various teeth problems that occur down the road. And as a fun fact for you, we at Lynn Family Dentistry are firm believers in fluoride treatments, not only children and teens, but for adults of all ages as well! Fluoride continues to help prevent cavities even as an adult. We recommend our patients get fluoride at least once a year as part of their dental checkup!
We hope you enjoyed this mini series of posts to help spread awareness and celebrate Children's Dental Health Month! Be sure to make your child's next or first dentist appointment today!
To book an appointment with us you can call our office at 732-828-0228 during business hours or by visiting our website! Happy Spring! ππ¦·
https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-fluoride
https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/dental_sealant_program/sealants-FAQ.htm #:~:text=Dental%20sealants%20are%20thin%20coatings,blocks%20out%20germs%20and%20food.