Most children have their full complement of 32 permanent teeth by mid to late adolescence. This includes eight premolars and molars in the back of the mouth. These large teeth are primarily tasked with grinding, processing, and breaking down foods before swallowing.
These large teeth can sometimes have deep textures in the tooth enamel along the biting surface. This aids the teeth in their task. However, the deep recesses in the tooth enamel could potentially harbor bacterial deposits.
If your son or daughter fails to clean away these areas when brushing their teeth, the bacterial deposits could gradually foster large cavities. Treating these large areas of tooth decay might call for Dr. James M. Robison to apply large dental fillings or to perform a dental crown restoration.
If their routine dental exam with Dr. James M. Robison reveals a problem like this, he might recommend cleaning the area and protecting the teeth with dental sealants.
This is a special type of dental resin that forms an impervious barrier along the biting surface of each molar and premolar. Even if plaque and food residue become trapped in the deep recesses they will be unable to access the healthy tooth enamel. Dental sealants are designed to be durable enough to resist wear from biting, chewing, and daily brushing. Most can last for up to ten years.
If you live in the Rocklin, California, area and you are concerned about preserving the health of your child’s permanent molars and premolars, you should call 916-663-5555 to schedule an appointment at Rocklin Dental.
