Fissure Sealants
At SmileMore Dental Care, we believe in preventing dental issues before they arise. As such, we may recommend tooth fissure sealants for some of our younger patients.
Dental Fissures are Natural and Common
Fissures are naturally occurring grooves found on the surface of teeth. Smaller dental fissures do not cause concern, however, larger dental fissures may invite bacteria. Over time, dental fissures may deepen, creating more space that can be filled with food particles or bacteria. This creates an issue for children’s oral health as the bacteria may be difficult to remove by tooth brushing (even if they brush thoroughly).
When bacteria combine with food, it creates acid in the mouth which causes decay. In a dental fissure, the acid gets trapped and can spread to the inner pulp of the tooth. To prevent this from happening, our London dental practice offers fissure sealant treatment for our younger patients.
What are Dental Fissure Sealants?
Fissure sealants are plastic coatings painted onto the grooves of the back teeth. This treatment is preventative. It’s a protective measure that ‘seals’ the fissures on a child’s erupting permanent molars with a protective resin.
Dental fissure sealants stop harmful bacteria from building up on the tooth. The treatment is fast, painless and patients seldom notice the coating on their teeth at all.
We Apply Fissure Sealants After Molars Appear
The first adult molars normally erupt at about six years of age, followed by further molars around eleven. When your child’s permanent molar teeth come through, make an appointment with our highly qualified dental care team. We can assess whether your child’s teeth would benefit from fissure sealant treatment.
How to Care For Dental Fissure Sealants
Dental fissure sealant reassures parents about the state of their child’s teeth, but that doesn’t mean children can relax their oral health care regime. Fissure sealants do not require special care, however, children should maintain good oral hygiene habits to prevent other dental issues from arising.
Does Your Child Need Fissure Sealants?
Before conducting any treatment at our dental practice, we always evaluate the patient. When new permanent teeth come through, we look closely at the tooth surface. During an examination, we can see if there is risk for children developing dental caries through their dental fissures. If a child’s dental fissures are deep enough to warrant fissure sealant application, we will recommend this treatment.
As this is a preventative treatment, it’s ultimately up to the parent whether they would like their child to have dental fissure sealant applied. When we recommend fissure sealants for patients, it protects their teeth now and can prevent or reduce more serious treatment in the future.
