23 New Street
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP1 2PH
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pit & fissure sealants
Unfortunately, children eat and drink many things which can encourage tooth decay.
Daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste, cutting down on sweet food and drinks and the use of fluoride supplements as directed by Dr Lister or his Dental Hygiene Team will do much to reduce tooth decay.
However, these tactics cannot be guaranteed to stop the problem of caries (decay) altogether. This is because the chewing surfaces of children's back teeth contain pits and fissures which are so narrow that even a toothbrush filament is too large to reach inside and clean thoroughly.
What are pits and fissures?
They are the small cracks and crevices that extend right down into the back teeth (known as molar and pre-molar teeth). Particles of food and bacteria become lodged in them and can eventually cause decay . Even advanced fluoride treatments which help protect the smooth sides, cannot guarantee complete protection of these high-risk chewing surfaces.
What, then, is a pit and fissure sealant?
To reduce decay, the pits and fissures can be sealed. The sealant is normally a clear, but sometimes tinted, tough plastic coating painted on the tooth surface.
The sealant then forms a protective coating on the tooth surface, sealing over the pits and fissures and so preventing any food particles or bacteria from getting in and attacking the tooth from the inside.
How is it applied and how long does it take?
The back teeth would be prepared by a member of our Dental Hygiene Team to accept the sealant, so it will form a strong bond with the tooth and penetrate down into the fissure. The sealant is applied carefully onto the tooth in droplet form where it dries hard in 60 seconds. The whole procedure takes approximately 10 minutes from start to finish, and is incredibly simple. It is totally pain free and takes just a couple of minutes for each tooth.
Once completed, it does not affect the normal chewing function of the teeth, so your children will not even notice any difference in movement or sensation.
At what age can a sealant be applied?
For peace of mind and complete protection, the sealant should be applied to each of the child's adult back teeth as they begin to emerge from roughly the age of 6, but sealants are so simple they can be used at any time during childhood or adolescence. Teeth can be sealed individually or all at the same time, but either Dr Lister or a member of our Dental Hygiene Team would advise you as to the best course of action.
Are they permanent?
Occasionally the sealant may need to be reapplied, but once the child has reached adulthood no further application is necessary. It is widely accepted by dental health professionals that pit and fissure sealing greatly reduces the number of fillings needed by children.
Conclusions.
Any procedure which can help avoid the anxiety, discomfort and pain of fillings, particularly in children, must be an excellent proposition. The quick and simple nature of pit and fissure sealants will be attractive to most parents, and can help give children healthy teeth for life.
However, this does not mean that children can place oral hygiene to one side and eat and drink whatever they desire. Good oral hygiene is critical for the maintenance of healthy, attractive teeth. Once the sealant has been applied though, the smooth surface will be much easier to clean with normal toothbrushing.
We are grateful to the British Dental Health Foundation for their inspirational leaflet, "Pits and Fissure Sealants"