Even with good brushing habits, the deep pits and grooves on back teeth can be difficult to keep completely clean. Food particles and plaque can collect in these areas, increasing the risk of cavities over time.
At Riverton Heights Dental Care, we provide dental sealants in Riverton, Utah, as a preventive option for appropriate patients. Sealants create a thin protective coating over the chewing surfaces of selected teeth, helping protect areas that can be especially vulnerable to decay.
Who May Benefit From Dental Sealants?
Dental sealants are most commonly recommended for children and teenagers as their permanent molars come in. These back teeth contain natural grooves where plaque and food can collect, even when someone brushes regularly.
Sealants may be worth considering for:
- Children whose permanent molars have recently erupted
- Teenagers with cavity-prone grooves in their back teeth
- Patients with deep pits and fissures that are difficult to clean
- Teeth considered at increased risk for decay
- Certain early areas of non-cavitated decay when sealing is clinically appropriate
- Selected adults whose teeth may benefit from additional protection
Not every tooth needs a sealant. Your dentist can evaluate the chewing surfaces of the teeth and consider your cavity history, tooth condition, and other risk factors before recommending treatment.
How We Evaluate Teeth for Dental Sealants
Before placing a sealant, our dental team evaluates the tooth to determine whether sealing the chewing surface is appropriate. We look at the pits and grooves of the tooth, its current condition, and whether there are signs of decay or previous dental treatment.
Sealants are especially useful on teeth with grooves that are difficult to clean. Your overall cavity risk and dental history can also help determine whether preventive treatment may be beneficial.
A tooth with a significant cavity or structural damage may need restorative treatment instead of a preventive sealant. In some cases, sealants may also be considered for early non-cavitated areas of decay when your dentist determines that sealing the surface is appropriate.
The goal is to recommend sealants selectively rather than assuming every back tooth should automatically be sealed.
What Are Dental Sealants?
Dental sealants are thin protective coatings placed over the pits and grooves on the chewing surfaces of teeth, most often the molars. Once applied, the material creates a smoother barrier over areas where plaque and food particles might otherwise collect.
Sealants do not replace brushing, flossing, fluoride exposure, or routine dental visits. Instead, they provide an additional layer of protection for parts of the tooth that can be particularly difficult to reach with toothbrush bristles.
Although sealants are especially common in children’s preventive dentistry, your dentist can determine whether they may be useful for other patients based on the condition of individual teeth.
What to Expect During Dental Sealant Application
Dental sealant placement is generally a quick and conservative preventive procedure. Drilling and removal of healthy tooth structure are typically not needed when a sealant is being placed on an appropriate tooth.
The process generally includes:
- Cleaning the tooth: The chewing surface is cleaned so plaque and debris do not interfere with the sealant.
- Preparing the surface: The tooth is treated so the sealant material can bond properly.
- Keeping the tooth dry: The area is isolated from moisture during application.
- Applying the sealant: The material is placed into the pits and grooves of the chewing surface.
- Hardening the material: The sealant is set, which may involve use of a curing light depending on the material used.
- Checking the tooth: Our dental team checks the finished surface and your bite.
Sealants can often be placed during a routine dental visit when your dentist determines they are appropriate.
Benefits, Limitations, and Alternatives to Sealants
The primary benefit of dental sealants is added protection for cavity-prone pits and grooves. Covering these surfaces makes it more difficult for food and plaque to settle into areas that toothbrush bristles may not fully reach.
Sealants also have limitations. They protect only the surfaces they cover and do not prevent every cavity. Decay can still develop between teeth, near the gumline, or on other unsealed surfaces.
Sealants may also wear down, chip, or come off over time. Regular dental exams allow our team to check whether an existing sealant is still intact and determine whether repair or replacement is appropriate.
Depending on your needs, other preventive or restorative approaches may include:
- Regular professional dental cleanings and exams
- Daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste
- Flossing or other interdental cleaning
- Additional preventive recommendations based on individual cavity risk
- Composite dental fillings when a tooth already has decay that requires restoration
Sealants complement good oral hygiene rather than replacing it.
Aftercare and Maintaining Dental Sealants
There is generally no significant recovery period after dental sealants are placed. Patients can usually return to their normal routine after leaving the office.
Continue brushing twice daily, cleaning between the teeth, and attending recommended dental exams and cleanings. The teeth still need normal home care because sealants protect only certain parts of the chewing surface.
During routine visits, our dental team can inspect existing sealants for wear, damage, or loss. If part of a sealant has worn away, your dentist can determine whether it should be repaired or replaced.
Contact Riverton Heights Dental Care if you notice a significant change in the way a sealed tooth feels or have another concern between routine appointments.
Why Choose Riverton Heights Dental Care for Sealants?
Riverton Heights Dental Care provides dental sealants as part of comprehensive general and family dentistry. Rather than recommending the same preventive treatment for every patient, our team evaluates individual teeth and considers each patient’s dental history and risk factors.
Our practice cares for children, teenagers, adults, and families at our Riverton office, allowing preventive dental care to continue as needs change over time.
Because we also provide general and restorative services, we can determine whether a tooth needs preventive protection, monitoring, or restorative treatment instead of treating every groove or discoloration the same way.
Our focus is on helping patients maintain healthy teeth through personalized preventive care, regular examinations, and treatment recommendations based on their individual needs.
Dental Sealants Cost and Financial Options
The cost of dental sealants can vary depending on the number of teeth being treated and your individual dental needs. Instead of publishing a fixed price that may not apply to every patient, our team can review expected costs after determining which teeth, if any, would benefit from sealants.
Dental insurance coverage for sealants also varies. Some plans may provide preventive benefits for sealants based on factors such as a patient’s age, the teeth involved, or how frequently the service can be provided.
Riverton Heights Dental Care works with a range of dental insurance plans and can assist with verifying available benefits. Medicaid is not currently accepted.
For your convenience, we also accept:
- Cash
- Checks
- Credit cards
- CareCredit
Learn more about our financial options or call (801) 781-5784 with questions about insurance, payment, or financing.
Related Preventive and General Dental Services
Dental sealants are one part of a broader preventive dental care plan. Regular examinations, professional cleanings, and consistent home care remain important even after sealants have been placed.
Learn more about our general and family dentistry services for ongoing preventive and routine dental care.
If a tooth already has decay that requires restoration rather than preventive sealing, composite dental fillings may be recommended after evaluation.
Patients who have questions about a diagnosis or previously recommended treatment can also learn about our complimentary second opinions.
Schedule a Dental Sealants Visit in Riverton, Utah
If you would like to know whether dental sealants could provide additional cavity protection for you or your child, schedule a visit with Riverton Heights Dental Care. Our dental team can examine the teeth, consider individual cavity risk, and explain whether sealants are appropriate.
Use our appointment request form or call (801) 781-5784. After you submit an online request, our office can follow up with you about scheduling and the next steps for your visit.
Riverton Heights Dental Care
3693 W. 13400 S., Suite B
Riverton, Utah 84065
Phone: (801) 781-5784
Office Hours:
Monday–Thursday: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Friday–Sunday: Closed
Call us today at 801-781-5784 to schedule your dental sealants consultation.
Dental Sealants FAQs
What are dental sealants?
Dental sealants are thin protective coatings placed over the pits and grooves on the chewing surfaces of certain teeth. They create a barrier that helps keep plaque and food from collecting in areas that can be difficult to clean thoroughly.
Sealants are most often used on molars because their chewing surfaces commonly contain deeper grooves.
At what age should children get dental sealants?
Sealants are commonly considered after a child’s permanent molars come through the gums. The first permanent molars often erupt around age 6, while the second permanent molars commonly appear later during childhood or early adolescence.
The appropriate timing depends on the individual child’s tooth development and cavity risk, so your dentist can recommend when sealing particular teeth may be beneficial.
Can adults get dental sealants?
Yes, sealants may be considered for selected adults, although they are most strongly associated with cavity prevention in children and adolescents.
An adult’s existing fillings, condition of the teeth, cavity history, and anatomy of the pits and grooves can all affect whether a sealant is appropriate. Your dentist can evaluate each tooth individually.
Are dental sealants painful?
Sealant placement is generally comfortable and does not normally require drilling into healthy tooth structure or numbing the tooth.
The tooth is cleaned, prepared, kept dry, coated with sealant material, and then allowed to set or hardened with a curing light, depending on the material being used.
Can dental sealants be placed over a cavity?
Sealants may sometimes be appropriate over an early non-cavitated area of decay when a dentist determines that sealing the surface is clinically appropriate.
A tooth with a more developed cavity or significant structural damage may need restorative treatment, such as a filling, instead. An examination helps determine which approach is appropriate.
How long do dental sealants last?
Dental sealants can remain effective for several years, but their lifespan varies. Normal chewing forces and wear can gradually cause the material to thin, chip, or come off.
During routine dental visits, your dentist can check existing sealants and recommend repair or replacement when necessary.
Do sealants mean my child can worry less about brushing and flossing?
No. Sealants protect only the specific surfaces they cover and do not prevent decay everywhere in the mouth.
Children with sealants should continue brushing twice daily, cleaning between their teeth, eating a tooth-friendly diet, and attending regular dental exams and cleanings.
Does dental insurance cover sealants?
Many dental insurance plans provide some preventive coverage for sealants, particularly for children, but coverage rules vary by plan. Age limits, eligible teeth, frequency restrictions, deductibles, and other requirements can affect benefits.
Riverton Heights Dental Care can help verify your available insurance benefits and discuss expected costs before treatment.