Sealants on your kids teeth?

[Corie]

Our pediatric dentist wants to put a sealant on my daughter's
6 yr. molars. Is this common practice? And is it safe?
Do they seal all the teeth or just the back ones?

Thanks for your help!!

[lmwbasye]

Not sure if it's common, but I know my dentist wants to put sealant's on DS's two front teeth after he gets fillings and the molars because those tend to stick around for up to 12 years. He will be 4 next month, if that makes any difference.

[Corie]

Not sure if it's common, but I know my dentist wants to put sealant's on DS's two front teeth after he gets fillings and the molars because those tend to stick around for up to 12 years. He will be 4 next month, if that makes any difference.


Laura,
Do you plan on doing the sealants?

[lorinick]

sealants are great. They keep your children from getting filling in perment teeth. Which later in life may safe them some major dental problems. Root canal, crowns, etc. I strongly recommend them.

[lorinick]

Laura,
Do you plan on doing the sealants?


I wouldn't let my dentist do sealants on front teeth. The teeth do not have enough grooves to hold a sealant in place and would wash away. Working in dentistry for over ten years. IMO I don't recommend sealant on front teeth. It would be a waste of money. I do strongly recommend sealant on molars.

[brittone2]

DS has one. One concern is that they do contain BPA. I've read that wiping the teeth/tooth immediately afterward reduces some of the exposure, fwiw.

Personally, I'm going to hold off on my own kids getting them on their adult teeth as I think there will be some work done on safer materials now that the BPA issue has become more prominent. I'd like to see what alternatives come out in the next few years.

[JBaxter]

Sealants are very common to be placed on the chewing surface of the molars ( both 1st aka 6yr and 2nd aka 12yr). It helps to keep decay from forming in the grooves. Both of my older sons have them.


They are occassionally done on baby teeth but not as often they come off alot more easily on baby teeth.

[egoldber]

At Sarah's last appointment a month ago, our dentist recommended sealing her 6 year molars at her next appointment. I am very conflucted about it because:

1) She has a very sensitive gag reflex. They have not yet been able to get a full set of Xrays because she can't hold the plate in her mouth long enough without gagging. She barely and I mean BARELY tolerates cleanings and I am worried that the sealing procedure will traumatize her because I have heard it takes a long time to do and then they have to let it dry.

2) From what I have been able to tell, the sealants contain BPA.

So at this point I am inclined not to do it although I know the dentist will push for it.

[lorinick]

At Sarah's last appointment a month ago, our dentist recommended sealing her 6 year molars at her next appointment. I am very conflucted about it because:

1) She has a very sensitive gag reflex. They have not yet been able to get a full set of Xrays because she can't hold the plate in her mouth long enough without gagging. She barely and I mean BARELY tolerates cleanings and I am worried that the sealing procedure will traumatize her because I have heard it takes a long time to do and then they have to let it dry.

2) From what I have been able to tell, the sealants contain BPA.

So at this point I am inclined not to do it although I know the dentist will push for it.


I can tell you sealant take about 10 mintues no needles or xrays needed and no drilling. It's a great preventive to needles, drilling and tooth fillings. Where likely a needle will be needed and more tramtic.

[o_mom]

I've never heard anything about it containing BPA. I don't think there is any concern of there being BPA in the few things they use to do a sealant.

It is pretty well established that there is BPA in/leached from dental sealants as well as in composite fillings.

[brittone2]

They do generally contain BPA. A couple of quick links. You can do more extensive searches to find more info, obviously.

http://www.thegreenguide.com/docprint.mhtml?i=115&s=healthnews
http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/NewScience/oncompounds/bisphenola/2002-0515wetherill.htm
http://www.checnet.org/HealtheHouse/chemicals/chemicals-detail2.asp?Main_ID=275
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/forum/health/july-dec07/bpa_10-308.html
http://jada.ada.org/cgi/content/short/137/3/353

eta: fwiw, I have a mouthful of sealants myself that I had done when I was a child.

[egoldber]

I can tell you sealant take about 10 mintues no needles or xrays needed. It's a great preventive to needing a tooth filled. Where likely a needle will be needed and alot more tramtic. I've never heard anything about it containing BPA. I don't think there is any concern of there being BPA in the few things they use to do a sealant. It's the quickest thing you could have done in a dental office.

For the average kid you may be right. But I seriously canNOT overstate how orally sensitive she is. She can detect a FLECK of parsley in a sauce and gag on it. We have a very limited amount of foods she can eat because of her texture issues. I waited (terrible mom) until she was 5 for her first dentist appointment because I wanted her to be able to completely and totally understand what was happening and why. And even now at 7 she STILL has trouble complying because of her gag reflex.

If she gets cavities, it will likely be when she is older and intellectually more able to deal with it. DH and I both have really, really good teeth with few cavities, so I am hoping that this plays out for her. I have to pick my battles on this. Again, for the average kid it may be fine. For *us* I'm not comfortable with it right now.

[lorinick]

It is pretty well established that there is BPA in/leached from dental sealants as well as in composite fillings.


I think there better than needing a filling. Their will be more BPA in a comp. filling than a sealant. Since a sealant only sits on the top of the tooth. And as for amag. filling which have mercury. I think it easier on the child. And will carry less risk.

[o_mom]

DS has one. One concern is that they do contain BPA. I've read that wiping the teeth/tooth immediately afterward reduces some of the exposure, fwiw.

Personally, I'm going to hold off on my own kids getting them on their adult teeth as I think there will be some work done on safer materials now that the BPA issue has become more prominent. I'd like to see what alternatives come out in the next few years.

Beth,

Do you have any info on alternative products being developed?

I have amalgam fillings in all of my adult molars. They were placed when I was 8-12 years old (memory is foggy) as a preventative because the dentist felt I had "deep gooves" that would cause cavities. He didn't believe in sealants as they were very new at the time and he was way old school (as in "kids don't feel pain so they don't need novacaine" old school - grrr).

Anyway, I'm not sure if these really were necessary or if any of the kids will have this type of tooth anatomy, but if they do, is is better to have that temporary spike in BPA or run the risk of having to put a larger amount in a composite filling or even amalgam?

Right now we have not had a single cavity at 5 years old, so maybe he got the good set and we can get by. At the same time, he is becoming more resistant to us helping him brush, but isn't quite there with the fine motor skills to do it himself. We are also fast approching the adult teeth coming in, so we need to keep on top of it. Isn't that just the irony that they get those teeth in just at the time when the brushing is going to be at it's worst point?

Always appreciate your insight on these things!

[JBaxter]

For the average kid you may be right. But I seriously canNOT overstate how orally sensitive she is. She can detect a FLECK of parsley in a sauce and gag on it. We have a very limited amount of foods she can eat because of her texture issues. I waited (terrible mom) until she was 5 for her first dentist appointment because I wanted her to be able to completely and totally understand what was happening and why. And even now at 7 she STILL has trouble complying because of her gag reflex.

If she gets cavities, it will likely be when she is older and intellectually more able to deal with it. DH and I both have really, really good teeth with few cavities, so I am hoping that this plays out for her. I have to pick my battles on this. Again, for the average kid it may be fine. For *us* I'm not comfortable with it right now.

I worked as a hygienist for 17yrs and GOOD FOR YOU on knowing your child. If she gags they you have a horrible time keeping the tooth dry and if it has moisture contamination it comes off and needs redone. Some kids cant handle it and end up making themselves sick and that = a bad dental experience.

[o_mom]

I think there better than needing a filling. Their will be more BPA in a comp. filling than a sealant. Since a sealant only sits on the top of the tooth. And as for amag. filling which have mercury. I think it easier on the child. And will carry less risk.

But there is the question... is it better to have a known exposure to the sealant or a possible exposure later as part of a filling? The question is not if there is BPA, but how to manage the risk.

[lorinick]

For the average kid you may be right. But I seriously canNOT overstate how orally sensitive she is. She can detect a FLECK of parsley in a sauce and gag on it. We have a very limited amount of foods she can eat because of her texture issues. I waited (terrible mom) until she was 5 for her first dentist appointment because I wanted her to be able to completely and totally understand what was happening and why. And even now at 7 she STILL has trouble complying because of her gag reflex.

If she gets cavities, it will likely be when she is older and intellectually more able to deal with it. DH and I both have really, really good teeth with few cavities, so I am hoping that this plays out for her. I have to pick my battles on this. Again, for the average kid it may be fine. For *us* I'm not comfortable with it right now.


I'm so sorry about her gag reflex. They may be able to try it later on and quickly do so. My husband and myself have great teeth and never wore braces. Ds 1 does not take after us and needs them now for jaw problems at age 8. But if you decide to do it nothin will touch her tonge when doing a sealant. I've had children in the office that were very hard to do. Some we were able to finish the sealants and some not or maybe just got one. It's something that could wait a little while. Or you can choose never to do it. Cleaning must be hard as well. That must be tough on you. I know how hard that is to watch your child so upset. I have a hard time when I'm working on a child teeth and their so scared or upset.

[lisams]

Like mentioned above, we're going to hold off until the kids are older and hopefully something safer comes out.

I had sealants when I was a child and a lot of them have chipped off.

[lmwbasye]

As far as if I'm going to do it...I have no idea. Ugh! I know I need to make a decision since he has to get his fillings next month, but it is so hard. It is impossible for me to make any decision regarding my child. I'm always worried I'll do the "wrong" thing. LOL!

I"m definitely watching this thread closely and reading up so I can make an informed decision.

[gatorsmom]

I had sealants put on my back teeth about 30 years ago and haven;t had any trouble with them. I also havn't had any cavaties back there.

However, I do wonder what those sealants were made of back then in the late 70's. Sure hope it wasn't asbestos or pvc or something like that. Maybe it's better that I dont' know that!

I would have no problem putting them on DC's teeth nowadays.

[kristenk]

The ped dentist put a sealant on one of DD's baby teeth b/c of deep grooves. She was actually at the dentist's office to fill a hole in her tooth that the dentist discovered at her first visit. (Who'd have thunk it? MIL told me that DH also had a hole in a baby tooth when he was little.) The hole needed to be filled, but the procedure was fairly minor and no deadening/laughing gas was needed. The dentist went ahead and put the sealant on while she was in there. She told me that she had done so after the fact. I'm slightly annoyed (not as outraged as I think I should be) that the dentist applied the sealant w/o discussing it and, basically, without permission.:32:

If she had discussed it with me beforehand, I think I would have gone ahead with the sealants, but I wasn't aware that they contained BPA. Now, I'm not sure what I'll do in the future. I'm hoping that something new and safe comes out by the time DD's permanent teeth arrive.

[AuGoldie]

My aunt is a pediatric dentist and she put sealants on my molars about 12 years ago when I was in elementary school. She put the sealants on after filling 3 small cavities that I had. Since the sealants I haven't had a single issue with my teeth not even a cavity. My sisters as well had them done at the same time and they haven't had any cavities or other problems either. I know that she strongly reccommends them and continues to use them on her patients.
Jackie

[tarahsolazy]

I had all my molars sealed when I was a kid. I have never had a filling in any one of them. In fact, the only cavity I ever had was in a 6yr molar before the rest were sealed. I know much of your dental health is just genetic, but I'm sure happy I never had to have any dental work.

The BPA thing might make me pause, I guess, but our dentist hasn't mentioned sealants yet, so I'll ask her if she recommends them next time.

[elephantmeg]

I had all my molars sealed as a kid and didn't have a cavity until college. Apparently some of them wore off. I had them redone last year. My parents have horrible teeth and I attribute sealants at least in part to my only having 1 cavity.

[brittone2]

Beth,

Do you have any info on alternative products being developed?

I have amalgam fillings in all of my adult molars. They were placed when I was 8-12 years old (memory is foggy) as a preventative because the dentist felt I had "deep gooves" that would cause cavities. He didn't believe in sealants as they were very new at the time and he was way old school (as in "kids don't feel pain so they don't need novacaine" old school - grrr).

Anyway, I'm not sure if these really were necessary or if any of the kids will have this type of tooth anatomy, but if they do, is is better to have that temporary spike in BPA or run the risk of having to put a larger amount in a composite filling or even amalgam?

Always appreciate your insight on these things!

I have a few small fillings (mostly on the buckles on the sides of my teeth) and once I"m done BFing/pgcy, I think I may have them removed by someone that does a LOT of amalgam removals (I'd be very picky about the doc I selected to do this). And yes, I know this is controversial for anyone planning to jump all over me on the topic ;)

I've read that the immediate BPA exposure post-placement of sealants/composite fillings can be reduced by wiping the teeth immediately afterward for a bit. Also, I think I read one study that said you can try spitting frequently (lovely, I know) afterward. Now obviously, this would be easier to manage as an adult than it would be to manage w/ a child. It still leeches over time in many cases, but you can at least minimize some of the exposure immediately after placement by wiping and spitting, according to some studies.

I don't have any inside scoop on non BPA composites/sealants being developed, but I think the increased public awareness may drive some new products even if the ADA doesn't acknowledge a risk to BPA containing materials. I just have a gut feeling something new will come along (probably with its own problems eventually ;)) that may be a better alternative, so I personally want to stall a bit and see what happens there. More and more patients/consumers are aware of BPA in composites/sealants and I think there will be advances in new materials in the next few years.

Again, what upsets me in this case is a general lack of informed consent. You can't pick up your medication from the pharmacy without a list of possible adverse side effects, etc., but dentists do not disclose to parents that metal amalgams contain mercury, or that many of the sealants/composite fillings contain BPA. That isn't informed consent, as far as I'm concerned. For some kids/families, maybe the risk of cavities is far worse than the risk of BPA, but I'm not sure that's true for everyone. I'd like to see more information made available to parents so that they can make the best decision for their own children after weighing their options.

[DrSally]

DS's dentist said DS will prob need sealants in the future b/c of deep grooves (just like me and I have fillings in every molar). I asked about BPA and he said the ones they use do not contain BPA

[Corie]

So, not all sealants contain BPA? Where can I find
a list of "safe" sealants?

[DrSally]

Well, that's what this dentist said at least. He said he was aware of the BPA issue, and the material they use does not contain it, apparently, according to him. He gave me the name of it, but I didn't do any research on it since it will be a few years before DS would get them. Next time we go, I can ask again what the name of it again.

[o_mom]

Well, that's what this dentist said at least. He said he was aware of the BPA issue, and the material they use does not contain it, apparently, according to him. He gave me the name of it, but I didn't do any research on it since it will be a few years before DS would get them. Next time we go, I can ask again what the name of it again.

From what I have read (and granted, that's certainly not comprehensive) the sealants do not contain BPA in the sense that it's going to be listed on the ingredient list. However, it is formed when the material breaks down and mainly during the curative reaction process, which is why the leaching is highest at the time of application.

So, if your dentist looks at the ingredient list it won't be there and his medical supply rep can say with truth that it doesn't contain BPA, but that doesn't mean it won't cause BPA exposure. Make sense?