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Estero Bay Dental serves families in Estero and Bonita Springs, where Dr. Ivan Vigoa and our team offer dental sealants that add a protective layer to the deep grooves of back teeth and help keep cavities from starting.
Brushing and flossing do a lot of work, but a toothbrush bristle cannot always reach into the deep, narrow grooves on the chewing surfaces of back teeth. Those tiny pits are a common place for plaque to settle and for cavities to begin.
At Estero Bay Dental, Dr. Ivan Vigoa and our Estero, FL team offer dental sealants as a simple, preventive way to give those hard-to-clean surfaces extra protection.
Dental sealants are plastic resins that bond and harden in the deep grooves on a tooth’s surface. When a tooth is sealed, the tiny grooves become smooth and are less likely to harbor plaque. With sealants, brushing your teeth becomes easier and more effective against tooth decay.
Sealants give your teeth extra protection against decay and help prevent cavities, which makes them a helpful part of a preventive routine alongside regular exams and cleanings and fluoride. They are a protective layer, not a replacement for brushing and flossing at home.
Placing a sealant is typically a quick visit. Here is how the process usually unfolds at our Estero office.
Because sealants are painted onto the tooth surface, they do not involve removing tooth structure the way a filling does. Your dentist will let you know what to expect for your own teeth before anything begins.
Sealants are typically applied to children’s teeth as a preventive measure against tooth decay after the permanent teeth have erupted. Adults can also receive sealants on healthy teeth. It is more common to seal permanent teeth rather than baby teeth, but every patient has unique needs, and your dentist will recommend sealants on a case-by-case basis. Our practice welcomes family members ages 7 and up through family dentistry.
Sealants work best as one piece of a complete prevention plan. This table shows how they fit with other common services.
| Service | What It Does | Where It Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Sealants | Fills the deep grooves on chewing surfaces with a smooth, protective resin. | Helps keep plaque out of hard-to-clean pits on healthy back teeth. |
| Fluoride | Supports the outer layer of the tooth. | Complements sealants by supporting the whole tooth surface. |
| Exams and cleanings | Removes plaque and tartar and lets us check every tooth. | Lets us look at your sealants and catch concerns early. |
| Fillings | Repairs a tooth that already has a cavity. | Used when decay has begun, which sealants aim to help prevent. |
| Preventive care | Brings the above together into one routine. | A full plan tailored to your family’s needs. |
Sealants last from three to five years, but it is fairly common to see adults with sealants intact from their childhood. A dental sealant only provides protection when it is fully intact, so we check them at your regular visits.
| Habit | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| Brush twice a day and floss daily | Keeps plaque off every surface, including the sealed ones. |
| Keep your regular exams and cleanings | Lets us check that each sealant is intact. |
| Avoid chewing ice or hard candy | Reduces the chance of chipping a sealant. |
| Tell us if a sealant comes off | Gives us the chance to re-seal the tooth. |
| Limit sugary snacks and drinks | Gives plaque less to feed on between visits. |
For more background, the American Dental Association’s consumer site offers an easy-to-read overview of dental sealants on MouthHealthy.org.
Cost depends on the teeth being treated and your plan. Estero Bay Dental accepts several PPO insurance plans, and our team will review your benefits with you before treatment. You can read more on our insurance page. If you have no insurance, our Smile Program is a discount program you can ask about. We accept CareCredit and work with several financing partners, including Cherry Financing, to provide flexible options for paying the cost of treatment over time.
Our Estero office at 21740 S Tamiami Trail #111 welcomes patients from Estero, Bonita Springs, and nearby neighborhoods such as Pelican Landing, Pelican Sound, and Coconut Point. We are open Monday through Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm and Friday from 8 am to 1 pm, and our team speaks both English and Spanish.
Here are answers to questions we often hear about sealants.
Sealants are plastic resins that bond and harden in the deep grooves on a tooth’s surface. They make the tiny grooves smooth, so plaque is less likely to settle there.
Sealants are typically applied to children’s permanent teeth after they have erupted, and adults can also receive them on healthy teeth. At Estero Bay Dental, we recommend sealants on a case-by-case basis.
No, sealants are an added layer of protection and do not replace your home routine. Brushing and flossing remain important for every surface of your teeth.
Sealants last from three to five years, although some adults have sealants intact from childhood. We check them at your regular visits in Estero.
A sealant only provides protection when it is fully intact. Let our team know and schedule an appointment so the tooth can be re-sealed.
Yes, adults can receive sealants on healthy teeth, although it is more common to seal permanent teeth in younger patients. Our Estero, FL team will tell you whether sealants make sense for you.
Sealants are typically a quick visit because the resin is painted onto the tooth surface. Your dentist will explain what to expect for your teeth before starting.
Coverage varies by plan, and Estero Bay Dental accepts several PPO plans. Our team will review your benefits with you, and patients without insurance can ask about our Smile Program discount program.
Bring your child in for an exam and we will look at the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. Our family dentistry team serves patients ages 7 and up in Estero and Bonita Springs.
If you would like to talk about protecting your teeth from cavities, our Estero, FL team is ready to walk you through your options. We proudly serve patients throughout Estero, Bonita Springs, and the surrounding Southwest Florida communities. We invite you to contact our office or request an appointment to get started.
