- Had the same thing happen with my youngest—school clinic was a steal, but two sealants popped off during the first year.
- Dentist said "moisture’s the enemy," which I guess is code for "kids can’t sit still."
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“Insurance didn’t cover the redo since it hadn’t been long enough, so I ended up paying more than I expected.”
- Been there. Definitely felt like I was saving money... until I wasn’t.
- Still, if your kid’s a pro at sitting with their mouth open (unlike mine), maybe you’ll get lucky.
We had similar issues with sealants from the school clinic—two came off in under a year, which surprised me. The dentist blamed moisture too, but honestly, even in their office it’s tricky to keep a kid’s mouth dry long enough. Did anyone have better luck with private practice sealants actually staying put? I’m starting to wonder if technique or materials are just as big a factor as cost.
The dentist blamed moisture too, but honestly, even in their office it’s tricky to keep a kid’s mouth dry long enough.
Totally get this—my kid can’t sit still for five minutes, so I’m not shocked sealants don’t always stick. Has anyone noticed if the fancier tech at private offices (like those crazy suction gadgets) actually makes a difference? Or is it just luck half the time...
Has anyone noticed if the fancier tech at private offices (like those crazy suction gadgets) actually makes a difference? Or is it just luck half the time...
Honestly, I wondered about this too. My daughter got sealants at a regular dental office and the assistant used that high-powered suction thing plus a rubber dam. It definitely seemed like they kept her teeth drier than what I saw at the school clinic (where it was just cotton rolls and a lot of “hold still please”). The sealants at the dentist have lasted a couple years now. The ones from the school clinic started chipping off after a few months.
That being said, I think getting kids to keep their mouths open and not wiggle is still the biggest challenge. The gadgets help, but they’re not magic. If your kid can’t sit still, even the best suction probably won’t fix that. Maybe it’s a mix of both—better tools and a bit of luck with how cooperative the kid is that day.
Price-wise, the school clinic was cheaper, but I ended up paying more later to get the sealants redone at the dentist. Kind of a toss-up.
The gadgets help, but they’re not magic. If your kid can’t sit still, even the best suction probably won’t fix that.
Totally agree with this. I’ve watched my son get sealants at both places, and honestly, the “fancy” equipment at the dentist’s office did seem to make things go smoother—less stopping to wipe away saliva, and he was done faster. But when he got nervous and started fidgeting, it didn’t matter what tools they had; keeping him calm was way more important.
I will say, for us the private office sealants have lasted longer too. The ones from the school clinic chipped off within a year, but maybe that’s also because the environment is less controlled? At the dentist, they seemed more careful about making sure everything was super dry before starting.
Cost-wise, it felt like a win at first with the school program, but having to redo them later kind of wiped out those savings. I guess if your kid is super chill and can sit still anywhere, you might get lucky at the clinic...but for squirmy kids (like mine), I think the tech and extra attention at the dentist really help.