Exhibit: Enamel Sealants

Benchmark: Academic

Skill: E

 

            Dental caries or cavities are defined as permanently damaged areas in teeth that develop into tiny holes. More than 3 million people in the United States acquire cavities every year. Dental caries often occur in children due to poor dental hygiene and other factors such as their diet, although teenagers and adults can still get cavities. Dental caries can be prevented by proper brushing, flossing, and also regular dental checkups. Many people do not floss. This is a major issue because brushing alone cannot get into the crevices of teeth, the molars especially because the occlusal surfaces have deep grooves and fissures. With proper flossing techniques food and bacteria can be removed from the interproximal surfaces of the teeth. Part of a dental professional’s job is to educated patients on proper brushing and flossing habits, it is important for kids to especially receive this knowledge. In order to prevent cavities, dental hygienists apply a sealant material on the occlusal surfaces of the teeth. Sealants can be applied to the premolars, and also molars. The benefits of this procedure are that the material ‘seals’ out bacteria and food particles which prevents dental decay. In my first year of dental I learned how to apply and cure a sealant through bookwork and also lab practice.

            Being able to perform this procedure is important in dentistry because when working with the public, I will see many mouths throughout the day. The mouths that are most in need of sealants are children’s mouths. Parents do not always encourage their kids to brush their teeth regularly, with a child’s sugary diet it is important for them to brush properly but since dental hygiene is not always promoted to children from the parents, often children acquire cavities. With the application of dental sealants, the risk of decay is greatly reduced. Kids ages six through seven often have mixed dentition as they are losing their baby teeth and gaining their permanent teeth. If dental decay is present during the eruption of the primary teeth the chance of the permanent teeth acquiring a cavity is increased.

            In this specific piece of work I was required to list key terms and objectives of a sealant procedure. The first step of applying a sealant is to thoroughly clean the mouth and to focus on polishing the area of which will be sealed. After the mouth is clean, you isolate the area with gauze and dry the tooth and apply the pumice to roughen the tooth. After the pumice is applied, continue to maintain a dry working area and then apply the acid etch, which roughens the occlusal surface of the tooth so the sealant stays in the tooth. After the acid is on the tooth for thirty seconds you rinse and suction the mouth, protecting the tissues from the etchant, the tooth is now prepared for the sealant to be applied. It is important to not overfill the tooth with the sealant; this can cause an improper bite and patient discomfort. After the material is applied, a polymerized light is used to harden the occlusal surfaces once the hardness is checked, the procedure is done. I chose this procedure because knowing how to provide preventative care to patients is part of the career I have chosen and as a health care professional it is my job to provide these services to my patients. As a young college student, this will give me a competitive advantage because I will have experience with procedures that others have not learned yet.