Preventive Fissure Sealants

Preventive Fissure Sealants

Preventive fissure sealants, along with regular brushing, are one of the best defenses against cavities for your child’s teeth. Sealants are a protective coating that is placed in the grooves and biting surfaces of new permanent teeth. Even with thorough, regular brushing, cavities can still happen in hard to reach areas in a child’s mouth. Dental sealants offer an extra layer of protection in that they seal off inaccessible areas and allow your child to brush their teeth without worry that decay will sneak in and cause a cavity.

Many children develop cavities in common areas of their teeth — mostly in the missed or hard to reach areas at the back of the mouth. Because of this, sealants are considered one of the most effective and non-invasive means of prevention against cavities in young children.  Not only that, but dental fissure sealants are also inexpensive.

Most importantly, sealants are non-invasive. Unlike regular fillings which require the administration of local anesthetic or another type of numbing agent before the tooth is drilled, a sealant is simply brushed on after the proper conditioning of the tooth. After the sealant is applied, the area is then cured with an ultraviolet light. As far as dental procedures go, this is one of the quickest, safest, most painless, and comfortable ones. In fact, most sealants are applied right at the same time as the child’s regular check up and scale and clean appointment. Dentists recommend that sealants be applied on a child’s first and second set of molars which come through at or around the ages of 6 and 12.

Preventive fissure sealants are also beneficial for older patients who may find brushing in hard to reach areas difficult.  Also teeth showing signs of deep grooves that may be prone to getting plaque accumulation will also benefit from sealants, no matter what age.