Dental Sealants
Even careful brushing misses the deep grooves in your back teeth, and that’s exactly where most cavities start. Dental sealants cover those grooves in your molars and premolars with a thin protective coating, blocking out the plaque, food, and bacteria that brushing alone can’t reach. As part of our General & Family Dentistry services, it’s a quick, painless step that heads off cavities before they start, for kids getting their first permanent molars and adults who are prone to decay alike. Emerald Dental provides dental sealants at both our Lakewood and Littleton offices.
Curious what your smile could look like in six months?
Smile Fact
Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, yet it cannot repair itself once it is lost.
What Are Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are a thin, tooth-colored coating applied to the chewing surfaces of your molars and premolars, the teeth with the deepest grooves and the highest cavity risk. Once cured, the sealant forms a smooth barrier that keeps plaque, food particles, and decay-causing acid out of those grooves. They’re most commonly placed on kids around age six and again around age twelve, when new permanent molars come in, though adults with deep grooves or a history of cavities benefit just as much.
How Dental Sealants Work
Cleaning and Preparation.
The tooth is thoroughly cleaned, then a gentle etching solution helps the sealant bond securely to the surface.
Application.
The liquid sealant is painted directly onto the tooth and settles into the grooves that are hardest to keep clean.
Curing.
A curing light hardens the sealant within seconds, and you’re done, no drilling and no numbing required.
Benefits of Dental Sealants
A sealant takes minutes to place and protects the exact spots your toothbrush struggles to reach.
Covers grooves and pits that are naturally harder to clean, even with good habits
Quick and painless, typically done in one visit with no drilling or numbing
Effective for children, teens, and adults alike
Can ease mild sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweet foods
With proper care, sealants can protect a tooth for years
Why Emerald Dental for Dental Sealants
Every sealant is placed based on where your teeth actually show risk, deep grooves, a history of cavities, or spots that are genuinely hard to keep clean, not applied automatically to every tooth. Sealants are checked at your regular visits and touched up if they show wear, so the protection doesn’t quietly fade. Both our Lakewood and Littleton offices offer the same standard of care. Meet our doctors on our About Us page.
What Patients Are Saying
Real feedback from real patients across our Lakewood and Littleton offices.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do dental sealants last?
With proper care, sealants can protect a tooth for years, and some hold up for up to a decade. They’re checked at your regular dental visits and can be touched up if they start to wear.
Are dental sealants only for kids?
No, sealants benefit anyone with deep grooves or a history of cavities, not just children. Adults commonly get them on molars that were never sealed or on teeth that have become more cavity-prone over time.
Do sealants replace brushing and flossing?
No, sealants work alongside brushing and flossing, not instead of them. They protect the deep grooves your toothbrush can’t fully clean, while brushing and flossing still handle the rest of your teeth.
Is getting a sealant painful?
No, placing a sealant doesn’t require any drilling or numbing, and most patients feel nothing beyond the light itself curing the material. You can eat and drink normally right after your appointment.
Can I get sealants during a regular cleaning?
Yes, sealants are often placed during a routine cleaning and exam if your dentist finds teeth that would benefit. It’s an easy add-on rather than a separate appointment in most cases.
Protect the Spots Brushing Can't Reach
A few minutes now can mean avoiding a filling later, sealants cover exactly the grooves that are hardest to keep clean on your own. Emerald Dental provides dental sealants at both our Lakewood and Littleton offices.
Find Us
Two Convenient Locations
Both offices are open Monday through Thursday and accept new patients of all ages.
Lakewood
Emerald Dental Lakewood
12093-A West Alameda Pkwy, Lakewood, CO 80228
Littleton
Emerald Dental Littleton
2731 W Belleview Ave, Littleton, CO 80123