What are dental sealants?

The hardest teeth to get clean are molars. They are wa-a-a-ay back in your mouth. This makes them hard to reach with a toothbrush. Plus, molars have lots of pits and grooves. The pits and grooves are great for grinding up your food. But, they also provide places where bits of food get stuck. That's why molars get more cavities than any other kind of tooth.

Sealants help protect molars from cavities. Sealants are sort of like gloves for your teeth. Gloves keep the snow off your fingers. Sealants keep food, bacteria and acid off your teeth. Your dentist paints the molars with a plastic coating. The coating stays on your teeth for a few years. It doesn't hurt to get sealants. Your mouth won't feel any different, either.

What is that red stuff the dentist sometimes paints on my teeth?