You have heard the words before but are not sure what they mean or what they do. How can you even know if you actually need them if you don’t understand what they stand for? Don’t worry, here we’ll talk briefly about dental sealants, explain their purpose, and why some dentists might have insight into their placement. Take a read!
What are fissure sealants?
Pits and fissures on the surfaces of the occlusal teeth provide a shelter for bacterial proliferation. Toothbrush bristles are too wide to fit into these areas, making complete plaque removal impossible. A fissure sealant is a material that provides an impervious barrier to the fissure system to prevent the development of caries.
Is there a need for sealants?
In developed countries, a decrease in caries has been noticed in recent years but has not been uniform for all tooth surfaces. Part of this reduction is easier availability of fluoride, leading to a greater reduction in approximal, rather than pit and fissure caries. Therefore the need for a method of occlusal caries prevention is even more pressing.
Are sealants effective?
To be effective, they need to be carefully applied to susceptible teeth, especially in recently erupted molars (mostly the first molars). Sealants should be monitored and replaced if lost. For maximum benefit, teeth should be sealed as soon as practicable after eruption and certainly within two years.
Athina Tsiorva