Sealants

Sealants have gotten some bad press lately with a link to BPA. BPA or Bisphenol , is a chemical in some plastics. Human and animal studies have linked BPA to an estrogen-like chemical that can increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease in adults. Minute BPA levels rise in the saliva in the first three hours after sealants placement and then quickly drop off. The benefits of sealants outweigh the potential risk of BPA exposure. Dental materials cause far less BPA exposure than normal, daily used consumer products such as plastic bottles and the linings of metal cans.

Sealants are thin plastic coverings placed in the grooves of the posterior chewing teeth or molars. Sealants prevent decay on the chewing surfaces by covering the narrow cracks and crevices referred to in dentistry as "pits and fissures". This lessens the hiding places for the bacteria that cause cavities or dental caries and allows the back teeth to be more cleansable.