Dental Sealants

Dental sealants, also called fissure sealants, are thin plastic coatings that are applied to the grooves of the molar teeth to seal them from bacteria.
It may also be applied to premolar teeth if the grooves in these teeth are deep or if the individual has a high-risk category for developing tooth decay. Fissure sealants are usually indicated in children's molar teeth as soon as possible after they erupt into the mouth. This is because the pit and fissures of these teeth are most susceptible to tooth decay upon eruption into the mouth. Over time, after a length of exposure in the mouth, it is believed that the pit and fissures decrease in susceptibility to tooth decay and no longer warrant the use of fissure sealants.

Resin and glass ionomer are the two dental substances used for putting fissure sealants. Being white or colorless, fissure sealants are not usually visible after they have been placed into the mouth. Glass ionomer sealants are intended only as a temporary measure as they are not as long-lasting as resin sealants. They are usually applied to teeth that are difficult to isolate from saliva as they are more forgiving than resin if there is some saliva contamination during Resin dental sealants must be placed in a completely dry environment and they can last as long as five to ten years.

How are Fissure Sealants Applied?

The biting surfaces of the enamel are first cleaned through a gel to enable the resin to bond with the teeth. The sealant is then utilized in a liquid structure to seal the grooves on the biting surfaces of these enamel and set challenging with ultraviolet light.

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Can Dental Sealants Prevent from Dental Caries?

Pit and fissure caries account for about 90% of dental caries in children. They originate in the grooves of the molar and premolar teeth. By sealing the grooves of the molars and premolars with fissure sealants, this type of tooth decay can usually be prevented. The teeth should be sealed with fissure sealants as soon as they erupt into the mouth as this when they are most susceptible to caries attack. The teeth are protected from pit and fissure caries because fissure sealants block the entry of bacteria and food particles into the grooves. Fissure sealants are the sole way to shield the grooves from decay due to the fact fluoride can't penetrate the grooves. Toothbrush bristles are also too large to fit into the grooves to clean them properly. For fissure sealants to be effective, they must be placed properly. Fissure sealants are also only effective against tooth decay that originate in the pit and fissures. They do not affect tooth decay that occurs on the smooth surfaces of the teeth.

Although the indication for dental sealants is most frequently the grooves of children’s molar teeth, they can additionally be utilized to the molars of adult teeth in adults who are considered high risk for developing pit and fissure caries. It is believed that the enamel is most prone to pit and fissure caries upon eruption into the mouth. This susceptibility generally decreases the longer the tooth has been in the mouth. Fissure sealants protect teeth against pit and fissure caries because they prevent bacteria from entering the grooves of newly erupted molars and premolars from tooth decay. Without the sealant barrier, bacteria reside within the grooves where they are relatively protected from other measures aimed at clearing the bacteria. Fluoride does not penetrate the grooves and tooth brushing is not effective because the bristles are often larger than the grooves in the teeth. It is also difficult to detect early pit and fissure caries until considerable damage has been done. Additionally, fissure sealants are easy to place, non-invasive, and very cost-effective. Tooth decay that begins in the pit and fissures of the molar often progress unchecked and undetected. This is because dentine is more susceptible to decay than enamel. When tooth decay begins in the grooves of the teeth, the dentine is rapidly undermined while the enamel may remain largely intact until a considerable portion of the dentine has been Without the supporting dentine beneath it, the enamel collapses to form a cavity. There may be possible nerve involvement and the treatment for fixing the tooth becomes more costly and involved.

Prevention is better than cure. Fissure sealants provide an excellent preventative measure for protecting the teeth against tooth decay arising in the pits and fissures of molar and premolar teeth. The procedure is easy fast, minimally invasive, and very cost-effective. Fissure sealants are recommended as one of the first lines of defense for preventing tooth decay.

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