Serious question, why do so many dentists push sealants on kids?

After my 11 year old's last checkup in Portland, the hygienist spent ten minutes explaining why sealants beat fillings in every way, and it got me thinking about how often we just accept recommendations without asking for the comparison data. She mentioned sealants cost around $45 per tooth while a filling runs $150 or more, so the math makes sense, but I still wonder if the prevention angle is oversold on younger patients. Has anyone else asked their dentist for a breakdown of sealant versus filling outcomes over 5 or 10 years, and what did you find?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_cameron5d ago

Ha, just ask for the x-rays and let the numbers speak for themselves, works every time.

-1

dakota_miller935d ago

True but who takes the x-rays when the techs are the ones faking them lol