Sealants

I GOT A WINNER! 

'theyews' posted the 50th comment and won a $25 Amazon Gift Card from MamaCez. Thanks everyone for commenting and I love the feedback regarding my posts. Look forward to my 100th blog post contest.

So Hannah had gotten the blogging bug like her Mama and has written a couple of blogs herself.

In the past, she wrote about her "teeth-pulling"experience at the dentist:
http://mamacez.blogspot.com/2011/07/her-dentist-experience.html

She continues in that theme to blog about receiving 'sealants'. You see, at the age of 7, children are recommended to have sealants put on their first molars to prevent cavities.

"Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that are applied to the grooves on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth to protect them from tooth decay. Most tooth decay in children and teens occurs on these surfaces. Sealants protect the chewing surfaces from tooth decay by keeping germs and food particles out of these grooves. Permanent molars are the most likely to benefit from sealants. The first molars usually come into the mouth when a child is about 6 years old. Second molars appear at about age 12. It is best if the sealant is applied soon after the teeth have erupted, before they have a chance to decay. The process is short and easy. After the tooth is cleaned, a special gel is placed on the chewing surface for a few seconds. The tooth is then washed off and dried. Then, the sealant is painted on the tooth. The dentist or dental hygienist also may shine a light on the tooth to help harden the sealant. It takes about a minute for the sealant to form a protective shield."
----From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Division of Oral Health

Now, this isn't the first attempt for Hannah to have her sealants put in. This was actually her second try, and thankfully it was successful. Her first experience was six months before this appointment and she became hysterical when she was asked to keep her mouth open as they dried the surface of the molar before they put the plastic coating on. Her dentist was a very patient dentist, as you have to be, since he specializes in pediatric dentistry. He told me to not worry and he'll try again at our next six month appointment. When the date rolled around, I told Hannah about the appointment and promised her a 'BIG' prize if she didn't cry and went through the process smoothly.

Here was her experience in her own words:

I guess she has to learn about punctuation in second grade. But you have to be impressed with her ability to find her own graphics and incorporate that on the page. Even I can't do that yet :)

Emily will need to get her second set of sealants for her second molars after she turns 12. Let's see how she'll do.