Caring for Your Child's Dental Sealants

Dental sealants are a thin coating put on the back teeth to help prevent cavities from forming. Even with sealants, cavities can still happen, so your child still needs to brush and floss regularly, have regular dental checkups, eat a healthy diet, and limit sweets.

• Sealants harden right away so it's OK for your child to eat and drink as usual.

• Help your child avoid very hard or sticky foods that might damage the sealant.

To help prevent cavities:

Brushing and Flossing

• For children 3 years old and older: Help your child brush twice a day for 2 minutes with a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste. Teach your child to spit the toothpaste out. When your child has teeth that touch, help them floss once a day.

• Children 10 years and older usually can brush and floss on their own. Help them remember to brush twice a day and floss once a day.

Other Reminders

• Follow your dentist's instructions about fluoride supplements, treatments, and mouthwash.

• Kids don't need juice. It adds empty calories and can cause cavities. If your kids do drink juice, limit it to less than 6 ounces a day in kids ages 4–6, and less than 8 ounces in kids over age 7. Always use 100% fruit juice and give it at mealtime only.

• Limit sugar-sweetened beverages, including soda, juice drinks, sports drinks, and flavored milks, and sugary snacks. If your child does have these, serve at mealtimes, and have them brush their teeth after.

Your child has a toothache, or pain or sensitivity in any tooth.

How do cavities happen? Cavities happen when bacteria (germs) and food left on the teeth after eating are not brushed or flossed away. The bacteria make acid that softens the tooth's outer hard surface (called the enamel). When this happens, the acids can cause decay (breakdown) deeper in the tooth. This can lead to a cavity forming that sometimes causes tooth pain or sensitivity (tooth pain when biting down hard or eating or drinking something hot, cold, or sweet).

How often should my child see the dentist? Most kids should go to the dentist every 6 months for a cleaning and checkup. Some kids need to go more often if they are getting a lot of cavities or having other problems with their teeth.