Fissure Sealants
Fissure sealants are a resin material placed and set on the grooves (fissures) of teeth with the aim of reducing the risk of tooth decay.
All teeth come in varying shapes and sizes. At times, the adult tooth can form with a lot of grooves and ditches. When a new adult tooth erupts, the tooth is at a higher risk of decay. This is due to a variety of factors:
- Your child is young and may not be as good at cleaning their teeth. This is why an adult should help them brush their teeth until they are at least 8!
- The whole process of tooth eruption takes a long time. This means the tooth may have a flap of gum over it until it erupts fully and can get food and plaque trapped around it.
- Lots of children tend to have very high sugar diets.
Due to these factors, fissure sealants can be a good way to seal the top of the tooth and reduce the amount of plaque accumulating on it. This makes the tooth easier to clean.
Fissure Sealing Procedure
Fissure sealing is a relatively quick and simple dental appointment. It involves the following:
- We clean the tooth first with a sandy pumice, sometimes we will have remove a bit of stained tooth along the grooves first. Sometimes the grooves of the tooth are sandblasted if they prove to be fairly contaminated.
- We may then place some special dental bonding material (this step is not always required).
- The sealant material is placed on the tooth and we set it with a special light.
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Fissure sealant considerations
A fissure sealant does not guarantee that the tooth will not develop decay, it will only reduce the risk. It is still extremely important that your child brushes, flosses and has a healthy diet.
Fissure sealants are not designed to be permanent. It usually comes off a few years after, when the child is older and more able to clean the tooth well. They can come off sooner depending on their diet. We recommend not to eat chewy or sticky lollies (e.g. Minties, Fantales) because these can pull off the sealants.
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Common Problems
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do fissure sealants cost?
Fissure sealants generally cost under $100 per tooth and are much more affordable than tooth fillings as the procedure is quicker.
Can I get new sealants if my old ones break off?
We will assess your tooth, decay risk etc and will let you know if you really do need another fissure sealant.
Do only kids need fissure sealants?
No, adults also routinely have sealants done, although this is much rarer than in children.
Can you fissure seals baby teeth?
Yes of course we can, although this isn’t routinely done unless the tooth is at a high risk of decay.
