OT-Dental Sealants

[Guest guest]

Are there any reasons pro-or con- that dental sealants

can/should be used both from a SCD and a health standpoint?

Thanks for any info.

Rhonda

daughter, UC 5 1/2 yrs, SCD almost 4 yrs

[Guest guest]

There is no SCD reason to avoid dental sealants.

I have mixed feelings about them, personally. You need to make sure to have

regular exams (every 6 months) because they can and do fall out... or break and

partially fall out. You will have to get them re-done.... and redone... and

redone over time. As two of my sons are now completely out of the nest, I have

to hope they will keep up the regular dental visits on their own.

Oh, and by the way, I don't know if this is true with ALL insurance plans

but.... I found out the hard way that ours would not cover ANY part of sealants

that are initially placed after a child's 14th birthday (they'll pay for

re-placement of existing ones).

One of my boys got decay in a tooth that was sealed.... because part of the

sealant had come out, unbeknownst to us... and the decay started in the surface

of the tooth that was acid-etched to hold the sealant in... and then spread

UNDERNEATH the remaining part of the sealant. I asked the dentist if the fact

that the enamel is etched would make it more likely to decay.... and he couldn't

give me a clear answer. In other words.... MAYBE, it *could* be true.

Who knows what happens to the little bits of plastic or resin (or whatever the

material actually is).... I guess they end up swallowing it. I don't know that

it would be harmful... but naturally it would be nicer to NOT swallow bits of

plastic.

If the kid has really deep pits and grooves in the occlusal surface (biting

surface) of the teeth, they probably will help against decay that would start

there. They won't do a thing to protect against the " in-between " cavities... so

you still need to floss... and brush.

For what it's worth, my daughter's pediatric dentist thinks that it's very

unlikely she will have any cavities at all..... as long as she's on SCD (I

briefly explained the diet to him)... due to the lack of refined sugar and

starchy carbs. She's now 10, goes to the dentist every 6 months, and has never

had a cavity.... or a sealant.

Patti

OT-Dental Sealants

Are there any reasons pro-or con- that dental sealants

can/should be used both from a SCD and a health standpoint?

Thanks for any info.

Rhonda

daughter, UC 5 1/2 yrs, SCD almost 4 yrs