Fissure Sealants
How Can Fissure Sealants Prevent Tooth Decay?
Fissure sealants are a great preventive treatment, sealing these hard to clean surfaces, and instead, creating a smooth surface that is simple to keep clean. Because the chewing surface is sealed, harmful bacteria cannot penetrate the tooth, preventing decay.
What are Fissure Sealants?
This simple treatment consists of painting newly cleaned teeth with thin flowable resin material. The resin flows into all the grooves and fissures and quickly hardens, creating a thin, nearly invisible smooth surface. Fissure sealants are durable and cost-effective and are long-lasting.
Who Can Have Fissure Sealants?
Usually, fissure sealants are applied to the adult back teeth soon after they erupt. Only cavity-free teeth can receive this treatment. However, if a tooth has a soft area in the enamel or the earliest sign of a lesion, applying the fissure sealant could seal in harmful bacteria and prevent a cavity from forming, but it is relatively rare to use sealants in this way. While we usually apply fissure sealants to protect children’s newly emerged back teeth, there is no reason why adults with healthy, cavity-free back teeth couldn’t benefit from this treatment too.
What is the Process for Applying Fissure Sealants?
Application is quick, non-invasive and painless. After cleaning your teeth, we apply a special etching fluid that slightly roughens the tooth surfaces, creating a better bond between the tooth and the sealant. After washing and drying the teeth, we can simply paint on the sealant. Our dentist might harden it with a special light or will leave it to harden naturally. Afterwards, you can eat and drink normally. When you visit Icon Dental for your regular examinations, we will assess the condition of the sealants carefully. They should last a long while, but we can reapply them when needed and if they start to become chipped or worn.
If you are interested in fissure sealants for yourself or another family member, please contact our friendly dental team for more information.
