Hi, I’m a mother of a toddler of two years and two months. My child has no cavities and no dental issues. Tuesday we do have a check up at the dentist. I want to bring up dental sealants, so I want to know if you opted for sealants for your kids to protect them from cavities? And at what age? Did you have a positive experience or more or less? Thank you 🙏🏼
My children had their back molars sealed but this was not at 2 years old though
Oh alright. And did it prevent cavities? Was it ok?
Afaik (back when I was a kid) they only sealed if kids had most permanent teeth already. So around 10 years. They only did it for younger kids of there were clear genetic problems or the kid had an illness or something that affected the teeth (like chemo, or Down's syndrome which may cause mouth breathing, which causes cavities). So you can just ask the dentist and they'll tell you about the current protocols for sealing teeth.
Alright. I have shit genetics when it comes to teeth. My husband has super genetics. I will mention that to the dentist.
There's been research on those "bad genetics" for teeth myths, and it was widely debunked.
The biggest factor by far turned out to be mouth breathing. Of course, eating only sugar containing foods without brushing is also an issue.
But if you want to make sure not to have any more cavities down the line or that your kids don't develop cavities in the first place - stop with mouth breathing. Easier during waking hours, more difficult whilst asleep. So to help along it makes sense to tape once mouth.
Ah hahaha taping the mouth sounds fun hahaha. Idk what if I really need to breathe through my mouth during my sleep?
My oldest had it at 7 years old. My youngest never. The first dentist did everything they could get money from. The second dentist checked the necessity versus the trouble.
The oldest had 1 cavity in a baby tooth which got filled. The youngest also had 1 small cavity in a baby tooth. The dentist did nothing untill it gave problems, which never happened and the hole came out whit the tooth :)
No guesses needed why we switched ;)
Oh alright. Okay. Our dentist mentioned briefly that all the treatments to the kids under 18 are for free. Even if I would need to pay money I would though, if it benefits the kid tbh. Do you know anything about this? The free part?
It’s not free. Children under 18 years are covered under their parents mandatory medical insurance, and for children under 18 years, basic dental is automatically included (regardless if parents have this or not), but for some treatments they are only covered under top up dental insurance.
You still have your “own risk” (eigen risico) to pay.
Most of the basic care such as check ups, and filling a cavity, are covered by this insurance. However, ELECTIVE PROCEDURES (which this would be) without medical need are never included.
https://www.zorgwijzer.nl/vergoeding/tandartskosten-18-jaar
Oh alright thanks for the link. Of course we have medical insurance. I will check out the link
The basic thing are free. But this could be elective and not covered. This also depends on your own insurance and I cannot answer for sure.
You should ask your health insurrance what they cover for your child before doing something besides the checkup, cleaning, filling, photo's, fluoride treatment etc. (Or look it up on the website).
Something likes braces are also not covered, so not all treatments are covered.
I did not want my kid to undergo a procedure if it was not necessary, for the milk tooth it is not. So I would do it if needed at the adult molars if you really want it and they break trough (ie more curved top side, my second dentist agreed). The child is also a bit older an more willing to keep still in the chair ;)
Yes indeed I am also a bit… concerned. What do they do to kids who don’t stay still in the chair? 🤷🏽♀️
If it not really necessary, give up.. If it is really really necessary, to a specialized dentist for kids perhaps with anesthesia..
The first years of dentist visits should be, if possible, more about a positive experience. Just lying in the chair, counting teeth, perhaps a blow of air, and a present from the assistent :) (Often stuiterballen here)
We opted for sealants but definitly not with 2 yo. Discuss with the dentist as they can give you proper guidance.
Will do so. Were they effective?
Yes, she was very nice and explained everything we needed to know.
Thank you so much. That is so good.
Our 4 year old last molars all have cavities or a starting form. The regular Dutch procedure now is to clean it and place a cap over them. So now, he has pirate teeth.
Sealing will also be what we will go to when he has his permanent teeth.
Probably his teeth are a bit weaker than ours; we both never experienced cavities, as a kid nor later in life.
I had this as a kid. But I wasn’t two years old, more like 11 or 12, or at least old enough to remember the procedure. But I had a medical reason for it, not just because my parents wanted it. It worked perfectly.
Super happy it worked really well for you. Did you have to reapply it? Did it chip off at any given time? Did you have restrictions? Tell me more pls
Yes, it was reapplied a second time when I was already a young adult. I don’t know anymore if it was reapplied because it chipped off or simply due to natural wear.
I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a cavity. It was certainly not after the reapplication.
What kind of restrictions are you thinking of? I don’t remember having any. If there were any, they must have been for a very short period. I do remember that both times they used a device to harden the sealant.
Like for example braces, there are some food restrictions and a manner of brushing. In this case none?
No, I don’t remember ever having such restrictions or any particularly special care.
Alright thanks for sharing your experience
I had my molars sealed at around 9 years old I guess.. I definitely had all my permanent teeth.. don’t really see the point before that.. at 41 I’ve never had a cavity, so it did work really well.
We will definitely opt for this, and I am sooooo happy for you. I do have and I had cavities and it is a pain! Metaphorically and literally. Costs money to fix, teeth never regenerate, and the pain. And the sound of the drill ugh! 😤 Thanks 🙏🏼 for sharing.
"teeth never regenerate..."
They actually do...once...
Yea? When does dentin regenerate? 🤪
You know about baby teeth right? Surely you remember losing your teeth as a child and getting new ones right.
My son recently had his done when he was 9. The dentist recommended it and it was completely free.
That is so amazing. 🤩 worked well yea?
I had it done as a kid and I have had nothing but pain while chewing for all my life. I didn’t realise it was because the sealant made my teeth not fit properly together. When I was 40ish I had some cavities (fear of dentist kept me away for 15 years) and the dentist removed the sealants when filling and I have not had any pain since!
So yeah, it was probably a fluke, but I would never ever opt for sealant if I had a choice.
Oh, and clearly they don’t work against cavities if you don’t take proper care of your teeth, so I really wonder what the use is. If you brush properly and go to checkups every six months, I really don’t think the sealant will have any extra effect.
Both my kids had their molars sealed, it's common practice at my dentist, I think they were about 6 or 7.
For my youngest, the sealant was affected, bacteria got under it and he got a cavity since the bacteria had free reign and weren't brushed a way.
Alright yeah that is also a concern. True. Do you think the sealant was poorly placed or?
My little sister had her teeth sealed and she’s had more cavities than my brother or me. Just brush properly and use the small brushed between your teeth
But this is not about my teeth? 🤷🏽♀️
It is about your childs teeth? Learn them proper dental hygiene and don’t do the sealant.
Why would you seal a child's first teeth?
I had this done when I was a kid, but only around ages 8-10 when I had permanent teeth.
Well so he would not get cavities in his baby teeth. I do brush his teeth every day twice and he barely eats any sugary stuff.
And what is the risk of cavities? They certainly are not something you want, but there is no long term consequences...and possibly a lesson that you have to take care of your teeth.
I'm sure you can find a dentist to do this (at your cost) if you so choose, but in my mind, it's at best...a waste.
I'll sound like an asshole with this advice, but if your toddler already has cavities your efforts are better put in teaching and practicing better oral hygiene than mechanical fixes. Don't bother preserving baby teeth unless there's discomfort, they'll fall out anyway.
And while genetics do play a part, pretty much all of that can be negated with good habits.
Source: close relation to children's dentist.
Hey self labelled asshole, read again. It states the child has no cavities and no dental issues. So everything you wrote is incorrect and does not apply. But you spared me the labelling. So thanks for thT
Ah, misread that part. Well then the answer's very easy: really don't bother with sealants on baby teeth. Only a dentist looking to make an easy buck would recommend it, so I guess it's a good way to judge the quality of your dentist.
I thought all dental interventions on minors are free. But yea I can consider this. The clinic I go to has a huge rating in Google maps, I was so and so impressed. But in my country of origin a girl more or less the age of my kid died after sedation at a dental clinic, because they wanted to do root canal treatment (?!?) on her baby teeth and that she had cavities. You can imagine the scare this shit put into my mind. No parent wants their kid suffering or dead. So now I am extra careful. I wish peace on the family who lost their child.
I'm honestly not sure whether any treatment is covered by insurance or if there needs to be an identifiable cause. In either case, if we'd all work with that mindset the insurance premiums would just rise and we'd still be paying for it. Better to avoid unnecessary treatments.
Sounds like you're doing fine and might be a little too worried for your kids. You can always bring it up, but don't worry if they tell you it's not necessary. And perhaps an appointment with a dental hygienist (there's also ones specialized in young kids) could help you and yours to be confident in your hygiene routines and never need worry about dental problems.
As far as ratings go: I'm now stuck with a highly rated clinic that tries to sell you everything and more in the name of prevention. It works, but in the same way that changing your engine oil every other week would prevent oil problems. They're never out for the most cost effective option. Makes rich people happy, and more money means seeming fancier and therefore better ratings. There's a reason that the dentist's free pricing experiment a few years ago was very short-lived: it's very difficult for us laymen to judge quality of care.