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Comment by chillacy | Hacker News Reader

I have dental sealants but my insurance doesn't cover them because they're considered unnecessary, so I pay out of pocket to get them renewed every once in awhile. Maybe patients are reluctant to do that.

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In Germany you can get sealant applied once a year or so as part of standard health care until 18 years of age. IIRC each application takes about 15 minutes at the dentist and one hour of no eating or drinking afterwards.

I had this done during youth, never had it reapplied since, and so far, now heading towards my mid-thirties, never had an issue with my teeth. And, of course, I regularly brush my teeth about once or twice a day.

My dentist checks once a year to see how far the sealant has worn off. I could get it reapplied if necessary but not for free this time. I'll strongly consider paying up though when faced with the choice since this treatment worked out very well for me.

Do your teeth feel any different with the sealant applied?

Slightly but you get used to it quickly. It also depends on how good a job your dentist does, there will be high spots that need to be ground down.

Really? I'm in the USA hear and I have sealants, but have never noticed any difference in feel compared to before (I had them applied in my teens). It sounds like yours were put on REALLY thick. Mine were only put into the indents of my back teeth, so maybe that is the difference?

Typically sealants are applied to the permanent molars of children, and remain in place at least through young adulthood. Apparently there are some risks involved with old sealants. My dentist blamed a partially-eroded sealant for a cavity I got in my thirties.

That happened to me as well. Apparently, worn-off sealant can create tiny gaps and cracks that are difficult to clean and accumulate bacteria.

The only thing a dentist can give you that actually lasts a lifetime is a gold crown. Everything else needs to be fixed at least once in a decade.

The crown may last forever, but the underlying tooth may not. I've had several crowns replaced over the last few years as the tooth underneath gets slightly exposed and a cavity forms. The only thing that seems durable is implants, and those are pricey.

I had never even heard of them and i've been going to the dentist roughly yearly my whole life so... yeah.

Sealants are generally applied on adult molars and premolars as a child. If you've not had cavities before there generally is no point in having sealants.

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