That’s interesting, because my dentist never even mentioned sealants after I got my braces off in my late 20s. I always thought they were just for little kids, but I’ve had a couple of friends in their 30s get them too—usually after a bad cavity or two. Honestly, I wish someone had brought it up for me sooner, especially since I grind my teeth and those grooves are like plaque magnets.
Did your orthodontist talk about how long sealants actually last for adults? I always assumed they’d chip or wear off way faster than on kids, especially if you’re not super careful. I’ve heard mixed things—some people say theirs lasted years, others had to redo them after a year or two. I guess the out-of-pocket cost is still better than dealing with a filling, but I’m curious if there’s any real downside to getting them as an adult besides insurance not covering it.
It does seem weird that insurance draws such a hard line at age 14 or whatever. Like, do they think our teeth magically stop being vulnerable to cavities after that? I don’t get it. Has anyone had issues with sealants coming off or trapping food? My cousin swears hers actually made things worse because she ended up with decay underneath one, but maybe that’s just bad luck or a one-off thing.
I’m kind of tempted to ask about them next time, especially since my back molars are still a pain to clean even with floss picks and those little brushes. Anyone else have sealants as an adult and actually notice a difference in how easy it is to keep things clean?
Yeah, insurance acting like adult teeth are invincible makes zero sense to me. I actually got sealants in my early 30s after a couple of pricey fillings—figured it was cheaper in the long run. Mine lasted about three years before they started chipping, but honestly, I noticed less gunk getting stuck in those deep grooves while they were on. Didn’t totally eliminate my flossing struggles, but it helped a bit. Never had the whole “decay under the sealant” thing, but my dentist checked them every cleaning. Still wish insurance would cover stuff that might actually save them money...