Fissure Sealants
What are fissure sealants?
Sealents are a safe and painless way of protecting your children's teeth from dental decay. A sealant is a protective plastic coating, which is applied to the biting surfaces of the back teeth. The sealant forms a hard shield that keeps food and bacteria from getting into the tiny grooves in the teeth and causing decay.
Which teeth should be sealed?
Sealants are only applied to the back teeth - the molars and premolars - as these are the teeth that have the pits and fissures on their biting surfaces. Your dentist will advise you which teeth should be sealed after they have examined them, and checked whether the fissures are deep enough for sealing to be beneficial. Some teeth naturally form with deep grooves which will need to be sealed, others with shallow ones which will not need sealing.
Will my child feel it?
The procedure is totally pain free, and the teeth do not feel any different afterwards
The Method
The teeth are cleaned and then "etched" with a gel and dried to allow the sealant to bond to the tooth surface. The sealant is flowed into the fissures and an intense blue light is used to set it hard. The teeth to be sealed must be isolated and kept perfectly dry until the sealant is hard, otherwise the sealant will be lost.
Sometimes, even teeth with small decayed holes can be restored this way: the minimal decay is removed, usually without the need for an injection, and then the same process is used, except that some tooth coloured filling (composite) is added to the sealant to restore the tooth.
How long do they last?
Sealants last for many years, but your dentist will want to check them regularly to make sure that the seal is still intact. They can wear over time, and sometimes it is necessary to add or replace some sealant to be sure that no decay can start underneath them.
How do they work?
The sealant forms a smooth, protective barrier, by covering all the little grooves and dips in the surface of the tooth. Much dental decay starts in these grooves.
When should this be done?
Sealants are often applied as soon as the permanent teeth start to come through. This is usually between 6 and 7 years of age. The rest are usually sealed as soon as they appear which can be any time between 11 and 14 years of age.
Do my children still have to clean their teeth?
Yes. Good oral hygiene is still an absolute necessity. The smooth, sealed surface is now much easier to keep clean and healthy with normal toothbrushing. Use of fluoride toothpaste will also help to protect your children's teeth. Pit & Fissure sealing reduces tooth decay and therefore the number of fillings your child might need.
Advantages
-preventative treatment, no tooth destruction
-no need for drill, unless used with small tooth coloured filling
-no need for injection
-tooth coloured
-can be replaced without harm to tooth
Disadvantages
-taste (not good!)
-must isolate teeth with dry cotton wool rolls (may be uncomfortable)
-teeth must still be checked in case caries is present under sealant
1. The tooth surface is cleaned, conditioned and dried.
2. Sealant is dropped onto the tooth
3. Sealant is hardened under a blue light
4. The tooth is sealed giving full protection