I just read your article on sealants.
I have two (grown) children. They had sealants years ago, and now, at
age 24 and 26, they are both experiencing decay under the sealants.
Their dentists say that over time, the sealants have minute cracks that
allow bacteria to grow unchecked. This is heartbreaking for all of us,
and a real hardship, because neither of them have any dental insurance!
Is there anything at all they can do besides continue to treat the decay
as it occurs? Also, the (two different) dentists seem to be unsure about
the state of their teeth. Do the sealants make it harder to detect the
decay? Can the sealant be removed?
I'm so distressed by this! Here we thought we were giving our children
the very best dental care and I feel like I've actually created a
lifetime of potential dental problems! I feel so guilty.
Mindy
Kensington, CT
DR. CLARK'S RESPONSE:
Dear Mindy,
I was very moved by your email. I have been lecturing , publishing and
doing research on this topic for nearly a decade and your situation
reminds me that there is yet a long journey ahead for my profession!
I recently spoke with some of my colleagues who have needed to perform
Root Canal Therapy on their own children because previously placed
sealants did not protect the teeth as they had hoped. These dentists,
just like you, are extremely disappointed in the sealant "promise". I
don't want to vilify the sealant philosophy, but it is a much more
complex issue than many people believe.
I will have Linda contact you to set up a quick phone call to discuss
your children's situation. I am confident that you we can find a
wonderful outcome to your unfortunate dilemma.
Warm regards,
David
From: "Gordon J. Christensen"
To: "Dr. David Clark"
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 10:09 AM
Subject: Re: sealants
David: Sealants have been placed in millions of teeth, and in my opinion,
only a very few have been adequately placed. Keep up the good work!
Gordon
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