If your child recently received dental sealants, you’re probably wondering what they can eat and whether there are any foods they should avoid. The good news is that your child can continue eating most foods after getting dental sealants. The only foods you’ll want to limit are hard, sticky, and chewy foods, which can damage the sealants and reduce the protection they provide against cavities.
Quick Answer: What Can My Child Eat and Avoid After Dental Sealants?
Most foods are perfectly safe to eat after getting dental sealants. Healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, yogurt, cheese, whole grains, lean proteins, eggs, rice, and pasta can all be part of your child’s regular diet.
In general, your child can continue eating their normal diet. The biggest concern is avoiding foods that may chip, crack, or pull dental sealants off the teeth.
The main foods to avoid are those that are hard, sticky, or chewy, such as ice, jawbreakers, hard candy, caramel, toffee, gummy candy, and fruit snacks. These foods can chip, crack, or pull dental sealants away from the tooth, reducing the protection they provide against cavities.
What Are Dental Sealants?
Your child’s back molars (back teeth) have tiny pits and grooves that are difficult to clean with a toothbrush. Even with good brushing and flossing habits, food, plaque, and bacteria can become trapped in these areas, increasing the risk of cavities.
To help protect these vulnerable areas, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends placing dental sealants on permanent molars soon after they erupt, typically between the ages of 6 and 12.
Dental sealants are a thin protective coating that is painted onto the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. Once hardened, they create a protective barrier that seals the deep grooves where food, plaque, and bacteria can collect, helping reduce the risk of cavities.
The procedure is quick, painless, and requires no drilling or numbing. Dental sealants typically last between two and five years and provide excellent protection against cavities when properly cared for. During your child’s regular dental checkups, your pediatric dentist will examine the sealants to make sure they’re still intact and protecting the teeth.
While dental sealants are highly effective, they only protect the chewing surfaces of the molars. They don’t protect between the teeth or along the sides near the cheeks and tongue, which is why brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits are still essential for keeping your child’s smile healthy.
Why Are Dental Sealants Important?
The back molars are among the first permanent teeth to erupt, and they’re also some of the most cavity-prone teeth in the mouth. Their deep grooves make them much harder to clean than the smooth surfaces of other teeth.
Even children who brush carefully can miss these tiny crevices, allowing plaque and bacteria to build up over time. Dental sealants provide an extra layer of protection by sealing these grooves before decay has a chance to develop.
When combined with daily brushing, flossing, healthy eating habits, and regular dental checkups, sealants are one of the simplest and most effective ways to help prevent cavities.
Foods That Are Safe to Eat After Dental Sealants
Many parents are surprised to learn that there aren’t many food restrictions after getting dental sealants. Your child can continue enjoying a healthy, balanced diet, including foods like:
- Yogurt
- Cheese
- Fresh fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Eggs
- Lean proteins
- Rice
- Pasta
A healthy diet does more than support your child’s overall growth. It also helps keep their teeth and gums healthy. Choosing nutritious snacks, limiting sugary treats and drinks, and drinking plenty of water can all help lower the risk of cavities.
Foods to Avoid After Dental Sealants
While your child doesn’t need to avoid most foods, a few types of snacks and treats are more likely to damage dental sealants. Avoiding these foods can help your child’s dental sealants stay in place longer and continue protecting their teeth from cavities.
Hard Foods
Hard foods place extra pressure on the sealants and can cause them to chip or crack.
Examples include:
- Ice
- Jawbreakers
- Hard candy
- Other very hard foods that require excessive biting force
Encouraging your child not to chew on ice or other hard objects can also help protect their natural teeth from chips and fractures.
Sticky and Chewy Foods
Sticky foods can cling tightly to dental sealants and may pull them away from the tooth while chewing.
Examples include:
- Gummy candy
- Fruit snacks
- Toffee
These foods also tend to stay on the teeth longer, allowing sugars to remain in contact with the enamel.
Choosing healthier snack options instead can help protect both your child’s dental sealants and their overall oral health.
How to Care for Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are durable, but they aren’t indestructible. Taking good care of them helps ensure they continue protecting your child’s teeth for years. The better they’re cared for, the longer they can help protect your child’s teeth from cavities.
Fortunately, caring for dental sealants is easy. These simple habits can help them last longer:
- Brush twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
- Floss every day to clean between the teeth.
- Limit hard, sticky, and chewy foods.
- Avoid chewing on ice or other hard objects.
- Visit your pediatric dentist every six months for regular cleanings and exams.
During routine checkups, your pediatric dentist will examine the sealants for signs of wear, chipping, or weakening. If a sealant begins to wear down, it can often be repaired or replaced before the tooth becomes vulnerable to decay.
While sealants provide excellent protection against cavities on the chewing surfaces, they work best when combined with daily brushing, flossing, healthy eating habits, and regular preventive dental care.
What Should You Do If a Dental Sealant Is Damaged?
Our dental sealants are guaranteed for three years. If you think one of your child’s sealants has chipped or come off, don’t worry. Give us a call and we’ll be happy to take a look.
During every preventive dental visit, we also examine your child’s sealants for signs of wear, chipping, or weakening.
If a sealant needs to be repaired or replaced within the three-year guarantee period, we’ll do so at no cost, provided your child remains within their regular six-month checkup schedule at our office.
Addressing a damaged sealant promptly helps ensure the tooth continues receiving the protection it needs against cavities.
Making Smart Food Choices After Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are one of the easiest and most effective ways to help protect your child’s teeth from cavities. While your child can continue eating most healthy foods, limiting hard, sticky, and chewy treats can help the sealants last longer and continue protecting their teeth.
Along with a balanced diet, daily brushing and flossing, and regular dental checkups, dental sealants can play an important role in keeping your child’s smile healthy for years to come.
If you have questions about dental sealants or think one of your child’s sealants needs to be checked, contact Growing Healthy Smiles. Our team is happy to answer your questions and help keep your child’s smile healthy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my child eat normally after getting dental sealants?
Yes. Your child can continue eating most foods after getting dental sealants. The main foods to limit are hard, sticky, and chewy treats that could damage or pull off the sealants.
What foods should my child avoid after dental sealants?
Foods such as ice, jawbreakers, hard candy, caramel, toffee, gummy candy, and fruit snacks are best avoided because they can chip, crack, or pull sealants away from the tooth.
What foods are good to eat after dental sealants?
Healthy foods like yogurt, cheese, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, eggs, lean proteins, rice, and pasta are all good choices that support your child’s oral health.
How long do dental sealants last?
Dental sealants generally last between two and five years. Your pediatric dentist will examine them during regular dental checkups to make sure they continue protecting your child’s teeth.
What happens if a dental sealant breaks or falls off?
If you think one of your child’s dental sealants has chipped, cracked, or fallen off, contact our office. We’ll examine the tooth and determine whether the sealant should be repaired or replaced.