Sealants. Sold to dentists and patients alike as the cutting edge of minimally invasive and preventive dentistry. The concept was “close those grooves” and you’d save that tooth from getting cavities. The problem is that if the grooves aren’t really explored and cleaned out, under high magnification, then decay can be left accidentally.

In many cases, sealants were being placed by hygienists and dental assistants who aren’t able to diagnose or remove decay. There is a certain mindset that sealants can be placed with no numbing and very little trouble. A lot of these sealants (research suggests 92% after 10 years) are failing, and the result can be big dental problems in the future!

I’ve written about these decay prone grooves in the past. I think that a lot of dental problems in adults come from undertreating these grooves and missing this hidden decay.

Do you have groovy teeth? Or do you not even know? If you’d like to know, we’d love help out! In fact, we’d like to be your Saginaw dentist! Feel free to call the office at (989) 799-9133, request an appointment online or email me at alan@meadfamilydental.com. You definitely should have a groovy life, but we’d less groovy teeth!