Dental Sealants

Dental sealants are a preventative measure used to preserve the teeth and tooth enamel. Almost half of all children and adolescents in the United States have had cavities in their permanent teeth.  At ProSmiles Dental we recommend dental sealants for pediatric patients to avoid becoming part of this statistic.  Most tooth decay in children and teenagers occurs on the chewing surfaces of molars, where the pits and grooves tend to trap food and bacteria.  Molars first come in at around 5-7 years of age, with a second set coming in between the ages of 11-14.  It is best to have a sealant placed on each set of molars when they first come in to ensure they are protected early.

Sealants are applied to surfaces of these molars much like paint. The plastic resin fills any pits and grooves on the surface and hardens. Now the surface is protected from bits of food being stuck, so bacteria cannot multiply and cause decay, and tooth enamel is protected from plaque and acids.  Sealants can effectively prevent cavities for up to ten years and can be reapplied of necessary.

To learn more about sealants and all the services we provide, visit WhiteSettlementDentistTX.com for more information.  To schedule an appointment with Dr. Archana Lankupalli at ProSmiles Dental in Fort Worth, TX, call 817-369-8000.

Mouth Guards for Sports

Are you and your family getting active in sports this season?  The staff at ProSmiles Dental wants you to know you may be overlooking an important safety precaution.  Athletes participating in any contact sport are advised to wear some kind of mouth protection. A mouth guard helps prevent damage to the teeth and jaw, and also helps prevent injuries to the cheeks, tongue, and lips.  Most sporting goods stores carry mouth guards, but not in many sizes. These generic mouth guards often end up feeling uncomfortable, leading to child and teenage athletes in particular not wearing the protection at all.  A bulky or cushioned mouth guard can even interrupt breathing and speaking.

Custom mouth guards can be fit over braces and won’t interrupt normal activity. Come see us at ProSmiles Dental and have a dentist perform a custom mouth guard fitting for a mouth guard made of thin, hard plastic that protects your teeth and still fits comfortably.  This is an easy precaution to take for athletes, and you can go right back to playing your best!

Dr. Archana Lankupalli operates ProSmiles Dental at 9400 Clifford Street, Suite 110, Fort Worth, Texas, 76108. To schedule an appointment, call 817-369-8000 or visit WhiteSettlementDentistTX.com and fill out a contact sheet.