My son’s sealant didn’t last either—maybe eight months, tops. He’s a pretty intense grinder at night (his dentist called it “like a little jackhammer,” which made me laugh but also worry). We tried the newer type last time, but it still chipped off. Has anyone ever been told to use a night guard for kids just because of sealants? I always thought those were just for adults, but now I’m not so sure...
He’s a pretty intense grinder at night (his dentist called it “like a little jackhammer,” which made me laugh but also worry).
That “little jackhammer” description cracked me up, but I totally get the worry. My youngest grandson is the same way—he grinds so loud you can hear it through the baby monitor. His sealants barely made it a year, and I remember thinking, “What’s the point if they just chip off?” I asked our dentist about night guards for him, and she said they’re usually for older kids or adults, but sometimes they’ll do a soft one if the grinding is really rough.
Honestly, I always thought night guards were an “adult with stress” thing, not for kids. But with all this sealant drama, I’m starting to wonder if it’s worth a shot. It’s not just about protecting the sealant either—grinding can really wear down those baby teeth. The only thing is, getting a kid to actually keep a guard in all night... well, good luck. Mine chewed his like a piece of gum and spat it out by midnight.
I say if you’re worried, ask your dentist again. Sometimes they have new tricks up their sleeve, or at least ideas that don’t involve redoing sealants every six months.
I get what you’re saying about night guards being tough for kids, but I actually had a different experience with my daughter. She started grinding like crazy around age six—her dentist said it was “impressive,” which didn’t exactly make me feel better. We tried sealants, and yeah, they chipped off in less than a year. But our dentist suggested trying a thin, custom guard (it looked almost like those clear orthodontic retainers), and to my surprise, she actually kept it in. Not every night, but enough that her teeth weren’t getting shredded.
I do think some dentists are more open to trying guards with younger kids now, especially if the grinding is really bad. The trick for us was making it part of her bedtime routine—she’d put it in after story time, and we’d make a game out of it. Didn’t solve everything, but definitely helped more than just reapplying sealants over and over.
I guess my point is, sometimes it’s worth pushing for another option even if the first try doesn’t stick. Every kid’s different... some will spit the guard out, others might surprise you.
That’s really interesting, because my son was a serial guard-spitter for the longest time. I totally relate to the frustration with sealants not lasting—ours barely made it six months before chipping. I never thought about making it a game, though. We just sort of gave up after a few tries. Reading your story, I’m realizing maybe we could’ve tried a different approach. Kids are just so unpredictable with this stuff… what works for one is a total flop for another. Glad you found something that helped!
Yeah, I get where you’re coming from—my daughter was the same way with mouthguards and honestly, making it a game didn’t do much for us. She just wasn’t into it, no matter how creative we got. I do think some kids just don’t tolerate anything extra in their mouths. We ended up focusing more on brushing together and picking toothpaste she liked. Sealants chipped for us too, but our dentist said sometimes it’s just about luck and timing with how teeth come in. It’s wild how different every kid is.
