Sealants are a preventative restoration that can be done at any age and are placed to reduce the probability of decay. They are used to fill in the crevices or deep grooves of teeth called “fissures” which are mostly seen on the chewing surfaces of back teeth. These fissures are part of the normal anatomy of the teeth but can be quite narrow and will eventually stain due to bacteria. Fissures can be fine and deep enough that even the thinnest bristles of your toothbrush cannot reach into them to clean out the bacterial plaque in these fissures. The bacteria in plaque make acids from the foods we eat, which over time will dissolve tooth enamel and make a hole or a cavity.
Your dentist or dental hygienist can block the bacterial plaque, that leads to tooth decay, from entering these fissures by using resin sealants. Sealants are a flowable resin material that are placed and cured to hardness, which “seals” out cavity-causing plaque. The added bonus is that the tooth’s surface is easier to clean with your toothbrush and it is tooth colored!
Dental sealants are especially helpful in children that may have difficulty cleaning their back teeth. The earlier sealants are placed, the better, so teeth are kept cavity free from the start. Your first molars break through around age 6, and your second molars come in at around age 12. Sealants have been shown to reduce the risk of decay, or cavities, by nearly 80% in molars. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control released a report on the importance of sealants for school aged children. According to the CDC, school aged children without sealants have almost 3x more cavities than children with sealants.
Remember, these sealants are like any filling in that they must be examined at your regular dental check-ups to ensure that they continue to protect your teeth.
