Pit and fissure sealants are one of the dentist's latest weapons in the battle against tooth decay.
They are a thin, plastic-like coating which your child's pediatric dentist can apply to the chewing surfaces of teeth in order to create a long lasting protective barrier against decay causing bacteria.
How Do They Work? If you look carefully at your child's back teeth, you will see that the chewing surfaces are composed of peaks and valleys.
These aid in chewing food.
The bottom of these deep, narrow, valleys (fissures)however, are impossible to keep clean.
They are so narrow that the bristles of a toothbrush cannot reach into them.
It is also difficult for fluoride to penetrate into this area.
These fissures provide snug places for decay causing bacteria and tiny food particles to hide.
It is no surprise that the majority of tooth decay in children and adolescence starts in these deep fissures.
When applied the sealant flows into the crevices on the tooth surface, turning deep fissures into shallow valleys.
It cuts off the existing bacteria from their source of food and oxygen, and prevents new bacteria from invading.
The result is a significant reduction in tooth decay.
How Are They Applied? Applying sealants is quick, easy, and less expensive than filling a tooth.
The procedure uses similar technology to "bonding': with which many adults are familiar.
First the tooth is kept dry of saliva with cotton rolls and then cleaned and etched with a mild acid solution.
This helps remove any bacteria and allows the sealant to bond onto the tooth surface.
Next the liquid sealant is gently brushed into all the deep pits and fissures.
Finally the sealant is allowed to harden by shining a blue halogen or LED light onto the tooth surface for 20 seconds.
Because no tooth structure is removed, placing sealants is a painless procedure that takes only about 7 minutes for each tooth.
Sealants generally last for several years and can be easily repaired or replaced if necessary to increase their longevity.
Which Teeth Should Be Sealed? Sealants play an especially important role in protecting the first permanent (6 year) and second permanent (12 year) molars.
The chewing surfaces of these teeth often have exceptionally deep pits and fissures that make them especially vulnerable to decay.
Ideally the sealant should be applied as soon as possible after the tooth fully erupts.
Other teeth may also exhibit deep fissures that would benefit from protection by sealants.
These include: permanent premolars, the tongue side of some upper front permanent teeth, and some primary (baby) molars.
Most primary molars have shallow valleys on their chewing surfaces, but those with deep fissures will benefit from sealants just like the permanent molars.
Another important use for sealants is to seal over small areas of decay that may already have started on chewing surfaces.
By cutting off the supply of oxygen, sealants may keep these small cavities from progressing and avoid, or at least postpone, the need for a traditional filling.
This may be especially important for young children whose behavior might make placing a traditional filling difficult.
Role In Preventive Care Sealants are an important part of your child's preventive dental program.
By preventing childhood tooth decay they can prevent the cycle of fillings leading to inlays and/or crowns that is currently experienced by many adults.
Other parts of your child's preventive dental program should include: six month preventive dental visits to your child's pediatric dentist starting by age two; daily brushings and flossing; use of a dietary fluoride supplement (if indicated); and limiting exposure to high carbohydrate foods.
By practicing good preventive dental care you can help ensure your child a healthy, attractive smile for a lifetime