Small steps today can prevent large problems in the future. At Evolve Dentistry & Aesthetics, we believe natural teeth are the best teeth, so we want to keep your real teeth healthy for as long as possible.
If you want to protect your teeth from cavities and infections, consider applying dental sealant in Craven County.
Grooves in your teeth trap food and bacteria, leading to cavities, but dental sealant fills in those grooves. If you want to learn more about dental sealant, how sealant works and how you can schedule your appointment, read on below for all the information you need about the treatment process.
How Cavities Form
Maintaining healthy teeth is challenging; if you struggle with your tooth health, you’re not alone. Over 90% of working-age Americans have at least one cavity in their adult teeth.
Even adults who brush regularly can still develop cavities, because one major contributor is the structure of the tooth itself. Your teeth have grooves that help you break up food while you chew. However, some people’s grooves are deeper than others, which means food can get trapped in the teeth more easily and more often.
Trapped food creates a breeding ground for bacteria, which leads to the development of cavities. Fortunately, we can prevent this all with dental sealant.
Preventing Cavities
If you want to prevent cavities from forming, we recommend contacting our team about dental sealant in Craven County. Dental sealant is a specialized resin that coats the teeth.
When you come in for an appointment, our providers carefully “paint” your teeth with the liquid dental sealant. This acts like a suit of armor for your teeth: sealing up grooves, preventing cavities, and discouraging bacteria from forming in the first place.
The process is brief and painless, so you don’t have to worry about clearing your schedule to protect your teeth from cavities. But cavities aren’t the only tooth concern you can prevent with dental sealant.
An Even-Toned Tooth
A bright, white smile tells the world you care about your dental health. Unfortunately, tooth decay can undo the time you spend brushing and whitening your teeth. Tooth decay can result in discoloration, leaving your teeth looking mismatched and uneven.
Dental sealant can help you combat this discoloration. While our sealants don’t have any whitening properties themselves, we can prevent the discoloration before it even begins by protecting your teeth from decay.
Dental sealant can also help prevent discoloration from certain outside pigmentation, like dyes in food or drinks, so your teeth can stay bright and beautiful.
Who Can Benefit From Dental Sealant?
Anyone of any age can benefit from dental sealant, but we often recommend it for patients aged 7 to 2. Any age can benefit from sealants as long as the teeth have not been restored. . At Evolve Dentistry & Aesthetics, we work with people of all ages, because quality dental care is important at all stages of life.
Younger patients often have trouble reaching their back molars when they floss or brush, so we administer dental sealant to prevent them from experiencing significant dental concerns in the future.
Many of our adult patients have deep grooves in their teeth, which can cause them to develop tooth decay. If we notice a patient has deep tooth grooves during their appointment, we may recommend dental sealant.
Getting Started
If you think you could benefit from dental sealant in Craven County, the first step is meeting with our team for an initial exam.
When we perform a dental procedure—even one as convenient as dental sealant application—we want to make sure it can provide the results you came for. So during your consultation, we listen to your concerns, then take a look at your teeth for ourselves to determine the best treatment method going forward.
Once we have an idea of the right treatment for your concerns, we can schedule your next appointment and provide you with any information you need to prepare.
Preparing for Your Dental Sealant Appointment
At Evolve Dentistry & Aesthetics, our team wants to help you foster the best possible results. But you can take some small steps to ensure the sealant appointment goes smoothly. Before your appointment, be sure to brush and floss your teeth as thoroughly as possible.
Our team also cleans your teeth before we apply the dental sealant to make sure we eliminate any remaining debris left behind. This allows you to experience the most prominent benefits from your appointment.
You shouldn’t need to make any other preparations—just show up 15 minutes before your appointment to allow yourself time to check in.
The Dental Sealant Treatment Process
Some dental procedures take hours and require dedicated periods of downtime. But when you come to our clinic for dental sealant in Craven County, you don’t have to worry about any of that! In many cases, the dental sealant procedure only takes about 30 minutes.
First, you recline in one of our comfortable treatment chairs. Once you get settled, a provider applies the dental sealant to your teeth.
We then use a specialized light device to harden the sealant, creating a strong barrier between your teeth and any outside debris that could create tooth decay and cavities. This treatment does not require any drilling, so you shouldn’t feel irritation during the process.
Maintaining Your Results
As soon as you leave our clinic, your teeth have a higher ability to ward off tooth decay and cavities. But if you want to maintain your results after an appointment for dental sealant in Craven County, continue to prioritize healthy brushing habits.
While your teeth may have another layer of resistance, that doesn’t mean they’re completely immune to damage.
Even with the extra protection, sealant doesn’t cover the entire tooth. The areas between your teeth are especially vulnerable to tooth decay, so you still need to brush and floss at least twice a day.
A Natural Look
Some patients put off scheduling an appointment for dental sealant in Craven County because they’re worried it will affect the natural look of their teeth. Thankfully, sealant won’t cause any distracting changes to the appearance of your smile. Once dental sealant is cured and hardened, its subtle color closely resembles the color of untouched teeth.
In fact, sealant can prevent future staining on your teeth, particularly in the grooves. So while you shouldn’t notice any prominent changes in your teeth’s color or appearance, any differences you do see should be an improvement!
How to Treat Existing Cavities
Dental sealant in Craven County is an excellent choice for preventing cavities, but what should you do if a cavity has already formed before you meet with our team? You have a couple of options.
For minor cavities, we recommend a dental filling. This removes the decay and refills the tooth with resin to prevent further damage and sensitivity.If your cavity has caused severe damage to the tooth, we may install a crown to maintain its functionality.
The Evolve Experts
When you receive a dental procedure, you want to make sure you have the right team behind you. If you come to Evolve Dentistry & Aesthetics, that’s exactly what you get.
We work with a number of talented experts. From our general dentist and forensic odontologist, Victoria McGowen, DMD, to our many dental assistants and hygienists, you can be sure everyone you work with has the knowledge and compassion to create the ideal dental experience.
Our team members got into this line of work because they know the difference a beautiful smile can make. Don’t just work with any dental team—work with the experts at Evolve Dentistry & Aesthetics.
The Dental Knowledge You Need
Want to know more about what makes us the best dentist in Craven County? Take a look at our online blog. At Evolve Dentistry & Aesthetics, we want to do more than treat your teeth—we want to educate you about quality dental care.
We don’t just tell you how our treatments work to protect your teeth; we also provide you with expert recommendations on how to keep your teeth healthy your whole life. Everyone wants healthier teeth, but not everyone knows how to maintain them, so you can find all the information you need on our educational blog.
Take Preventative Action Against Tooth Decay
Don’t wait until the problem arrives to solve it. With dental sealant in Craven County, you can help prevent tooth decay and cavities before they occur. To get started, contact our team at Evolve Dentistry & Aesthetics to schedule an exam.
Whether you want an aesthetic treatment like a smile makeover or a health or surgical treatment like wisdom teeth removal, you can take advantage of our free online tool to get a personalized treatment recommendation.
Just answer some simple questions about your needs, and we’ll reach out with a recommendation based on your responses. Don’t let tooth decay cause problems for your future smile. Take the first steps today to enjoy a healthier set of teeth tomorrow.
