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Patrick G. Weakland, D.D.S.
214 5th Street
Windsor, CO 80550
Phone: 970-686-5544
Fax: 970-686-6872
Email: weaklanddental@yahoo.com
Best Dentist
Windsor Beacon
6 of 8 years
Best Dentist
Windsor Now
Last 4 Years
One of Colorado's
Best Dentists
5280 Magazine
Dr. Weakland and Staff
have all the experience you want in your dental professionals:
Dr. Weakland
23 years
Yvonne,
Office Mngr...15 years
Katie, DA
6 years
Regular Office Hours:
Tuesday
- Thursday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Mondays and Fridays available periodically
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Preventive
Dentistry: Sealants
 For
children, cavities are a common problem that begins at an early age.
Tooth decay affects nearly a fifth of 2–4-year-olds, more than half
of 8-year-olds, and more than three-fourths of 17-year-olds.
Promoting Use of Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are a plastic coating applied to the chewing
surfaces of the back teeth. According to the CDC, they are a safe,
effective way to prevent cavities among schoolchildren, by providing
a physical barrier so that cavity-causing bacteria cannot invade the
pits and fissures on the chewing surfaces of teeth.
In some cases, sealants can even stop tooth decay that has already
started. Sealants significantly reduce a child's risk for having
untreated cavities.
Healthy People 2010 calls for half of all U.S. children to have
dental sealants by 2010, but currently less than 25% of
schoolchildren do. Children in some racial and ethnic groups are
less likely than others to have sealants. For example, only 10% of
Mexican American 8-year-olds have sealants on their teeth.
When should my child get dental sealants?
First permanent molars erupt into the mouth at about age 6 years.
Placing sealants on these teeth shortly after they erupt protects
them from developing caries in areas of the teeth where food and
bacteria collect. If sealants were applied routinely to susceptible
tooth surfaces in conjunction with the appropriate use of fluoride,
most tooth decay in children could be prevented.
Second permanent molars erupt into the mouth at about age 12 years.
Pit and fissure surfaces of these teeth are as susceptible to dental
caries as the first permanent molars of younger children. Therefore,
young teens need to receive dental sealants shortly after the
eruption of their second permanent molars.
And according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry,
sealants are 'very affordable, especially in view of the valuable
decay protection it offers your child.' You should check with your
insurance company about coverage though and with your dentist to see
how much they will cost. Considering the cost of filling a cavity,
or even worse, getting a root canal, paying for sealants is likely a
cost effective way to keep your child's teeth cavity free.
Do dental sealants replace fluoride?
No. Fluorides, such as those used in community water, toothpaste,
gels, varnish, and mouthrinse also help to prevent decay. Fluoride
works best on the smooth surfaces of teeth. The chewing surfaces on
the back teeth, however, have tiny grooves where decay often begins.
Sealants keep cavity-causing bacteria out of the grooves by covering
them with a safe plastic coating. Sealants and fluorides work
together to prevent tooth decay.
Source: CDC National Oral Health Surveillance System
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