Sealants & Fluoride in Bethlehem, PA

Simple protection for new back teeth, in minutes.

Sealants and fluoride are the two quiet preventives we use to keep children out of the filling chair. At Always About Smiles, our Bethlehem, PA dental office, a sealant fills the grooves in a new back tooth so the surface can be cleaned properly, and a fluoride treatment hardens that surface against everyday acid.

Smoothing over the grooves in new teeth

Think of a back tooth as a tiled floor. The tile itself wipes clean; it's the grout lines that hold everything a brush can't reach. A new molar arrives with grooves narrower than a single bristle, so a sealant fills the grout and leaves a surface a child can actually clean. That's the whole idea, and placing one takes minutes.

Built up a little heavier, on purpose

Placing one is a clean, dry tooth, a liquid that flows into the grooves, and a light that sets it — no drill and no numbing. We deliberately overbuild ours, using more material than the minimum and carrying it a little further across the surface, because a sealant that wears thin in two years hasn't done the job we placed it for. Most children find it dull, which is the point.

Fluoride, and when it helps most

Fluoride goes on after the cleaning and takes about a minute, hardening the outer layer of enamel so a day of snacking does less to it. The long term success of the dental treatment we provide for you depends upon your continuing home care of your teeth and gums, regular professional exams, cleanings and fluoride treatments. Parents drive in from Allentown for a visit that's mostly a polish and a look.

Which teeth get sealants, and when?

The back teeth, as soon after they arrive as we can get them clean and dry — the first permanent molars around six, the second ones around twelve. We look at the grooves on each tooth rather than sealing to a schedule, because some molars come in with grooves deep enough to matter and some come in smooth enough to leave alone.

Do sealants come with a warranty?

Yes. Sealants at Always About Smiles are warranted for three years under our Peace of Mind Limited Dental Warranty: if one needs repair with normal use in that time, we replace or repair it at no additional charge, provided you follow our recommendations for exams, cleanings, and treatment. Ask us about the details at your visit.

How much do sealants and fluoride cost in Bethlehem, PA?

Both are quoted in writing before anything is placed, and both are among the least expensive things we do. Our Patient Loyalty Program covers children too, with substantial savings on all their dental care. We're fee-for-service, we file your claim for you, we're good at it, and we'll push to get you reimbursed. Financing is available.

Is fluoride safe for a small child?

Yes, at the amounts used in a dental office and in a pea-sized dab of toothpaste at home. What we apply is a measured amount painted onto the teeth for a minute, not something a child drinks or swallows. If you'd rather talk it through before we do it, say so at the visit and we'll go through it properly.

Can a tooth still get a cavity after it's been sealed?

It can, and that's worth knowing rather than being surprised by. A sealant protects the grooves it covers. It doesn't protect the sides of the tooth where two teeth touch, and it can chip. Checking each one is part of what the hygienist does at every cleaning, which is why the visits keep mattering.

Do sealants and fluoride mean my child won't need fillings?

They tilt the odds a long way, and that's how I'd put it. Most of the children we've followed from age two reach their permanent teeth cavity-free — that's what I've seen in our office, rather than a number out of a study. Sealants, fluoride, two visits a year and a routine at home do most of that work.

Fewer Fillings, Happier Visits

  • A sealant fills the grooves a bristle can't get into, so the surface a child brushes is the surface that gets clean
  • Placed with no drill and no numbing, so it isn't the appointment a child remembers with dread
  • Overbuilt on purpose, so it's still doing its work through the years a new molar is most at risk
  • Warranted three years under our Peace of Mind Limited Dental Warranty, when you follow our recommendations for exams and cleanings

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How long does a sealant last?

    Years, usually, and we look at each one at every cleaning. Some wear is normal, since a sealant spends its life on a chewing surface. What matters is that somebody is checking it twice a year rather than a date on a calendar.

  • Does my child need sealants on their baby teeth?

    Sometimes, though the permanent molars are where they earn their keep. If a baby molar has deep grooves and your child is prone to decay, sealing it can carry that tooth to the day it comes out. I'll say plainly which teeth I think are worth it and which aren't.

  • Can adults have sealants too?

    Yes, and some of our patients do. If your own back teeth have deep grooves that keep collecting trouble, a sealant is a reasonable thing to ask about at your cleaning. It isn't only a children's treatment, though a child's new molars are where it does the most good.

  • What about fluoride toothpaste at home?

    It matters more than anything we do in the office, because it happens twice a day. A pea-sized amount for a young child, with someone else's hands on the brush until around seven or eight. Proper oral hygiene at home is extremely important and needs to begin at a very young age.

  • My child gags on the flavored trays. Is there another way?

    Yes. Fluoride can be painted on with a brush instead of using a tray, which most children find easier, and the flavors are worth asking about too. Tell the hygienist what went badly last time and we'll do it differently. None of this has to be a fight.