"Curious though—do dentists ever reapply them after cavities get filled, or is it a one-time thing?"
Yeah, good question. I had sealants redone once after getting a filling as an adult. Wasn't automatic though—I specifically asked the dentist about it because I was worried about shelling out even more money down the line. She explained that sometimes they do reapply sealants post-filling, especially if the cavity was in an area prone to trapping food or bacteria. So it's not always one-and-done...depends on the tooth and how cautious your dentist is, I guess.
Interesting points here—I was actually wondering about this myself since I'm scheduled to get sealants for the first time next week. My dentist recommended them because apparently my molars have deep grooves that trap food easily, and I'm pretty anxious about cavities (never had one yet, knock on wood...). But now I'm thinking, if sealants sometimes need reapplying after fillings anyway, does that mean they're not as protective as they sound? Or maybe it's still worth it to prevent cavities in the first place, even if they're not foolproof.
I guess my main worry is spending money on something that might not last or might need redoing later. Has anyone here had sealants actually prevent cavities long-term, or did you end up needing fillings anyway? Just trying to figure out if it's really worth the investment or if I'm better off just being extra careful with brushing and flossing...
