Do dental sealants prevent cavities? i'm thinking baout getting dental sealant applied. does it fully prevent new cavities in molars, as long as there isn't already an existing cavity?

No : No dental sealant will not fully prevent cavities they are very helpful but not a only solution to prevent cavities it is also very important to have good and regular oral hygiene and timely dental visits taking floride can also aide in making your teeth less likely to get a cavity there are not any guarantees with any or all of these options only the best you can do to try to prevent getting cavities.

Sealants : Sealants will not fully prevent cavities from forming. Typically cavities form on 2 different surfaces of teeth. Cavities form on the biting surface which is grooved and pitted and on the smooth or circumfrential part of the tooth. Sealants are only used on the grooved part of teeth. They are typically placed in the grooves to make them smoother and more resistant to retaining plaque which could lead to cavities. While sealants are very effective they do not completely eliminate the risk for cavities in the groove surfaces. Sealant are not used to prevent cavities on the smooth surfaces of teeth.

Sealants : Sealants don't fully prevent new cavities in molars, however it will reduce the risk of caries in those teeth with susceptible pits and fissures. Placement of sealants in children and adolescents have shown a reduction of caries incidence of 86% after 1 year and 58% after 4 years. Sealant placement on teeth with highest risk will give the greatest benefit. High- risk pits and fissures should be sealed as soon as possible, however, low-risk pits and fissures may not require sealants. Caries risk, however , may increase due to changes in patient habits, oral microflora , or physical condition, and unsealed teeth subsequently might benefit from sealant application.

Dental : Dental sealants are used to protect your molars or pre-molars under perfect oral conditions or hygiene, if not they will act as a trap for bacteria and food particles causing your teeth to get decay, and they last for about 12 to 18 months, and then they will need to be replaced. Good luck!

They Help: Dental sealants help reduce the risk of developing cavities on the biting surfaces of teeth. They can’t prevent 100% of cavities from forming.

Not foolproof: Dental sealants are not foolproof. They reduce that chance of getting a cavity on a sealed tooth by about 80%. Sealants only protect the chewing surface (the most common area to get a cavity on permanent molars) not in between teeth. Sealants can also get pulled off if you eat sticky foods. Generally if a sealed tooth does get a cavity on the chewing surface it tends to be small and easy to fix.