Fissure Sealants for Closing the Gaps between Teeth

A look at what, why, and how of fissure sealants.

Some many think that our lives would be easier if our teeth were flat at the surface and had a large space between each one.

Eating may be a nightmare but cleaning would be much easier. Our teeth are made up of many inlets, gaps, and fissures. All of these make the perfect hiding place for food, bacteria and plaque. Regular brushing and flossing can help to reduce this but to really make an impact one may want to consider having fissure sealants implanted.

If one you ever saw a picture of the surface of your teeth. You would notice several peaks and valleys. This is what helps us to crew and tear food. Fissure sealants act as a coating over the chewing surfaces of your teeth. They are made from plastic and can greatly reduce the amount of plaque and bacteria that build up in these areas. This in turn leads to fewer incidences of tooth decay. The sealant forms a barrier between the surface of the tooth and the food. When applied, the teeth are always dry. This aids the bonding process and insures that the sealant will stay in place for a much greater length of time.

There are a few other advantages to having this done. One is that the process is completely pain free. No anesthetic is required. The second is that the sealants are tooth colored. They are non-detectable to the naked eye. They are also strong, durable and can last for several years.

Those interested in this procedure should consider having it as soon after their teeth have erupted as possible. This means that as soon as they have grown through the bone and are visible. Once they have stopped growing they go through a calcification process. This means that they start to harden. Before they are fully calcified they are vulnerable to decay and disease. It is best to have the fissure sealants put in place soon after the calcification process has taken place.

They will likely be checked every 6 months by the dentist. This way they can see if any movement or subsidence has taken place. If they have then they can be quite easily repaired.

Some teeth are much more vulnerable that others. The gaps are much deeper on the molars and back teeth then they are in the ones towards the front. The permanent molars therefore are the ones that are most likely to be sealed. They are vulnerable due to their shape as well as position in the mouth. Too often tooth brushes and flosses are not able to reach back far enough to give these teeth a proper cleaning. This makes the problem even worse.

In some people, their pre-molar teeth are highly grooved as well. In this case they should consider having them sealed. These are the teeth between the molars and the canine front teeth. They are very important and absorb a lot of the jaw stress when chewing takes place. To have a cavity or decay in one of these can result in some very painful experiences. Having these sealed will reduce the chances of this happening greatly.

Fissure sealants could reduce family dental costs dramatically. It is estimated that over 90% of tooth decay in young children occurs in the pits and fissures of teeth. By having them sealed and getting the started on a good regime of oral cleaning, their problems with tooth decay can nearly be obliterated. This again would protect those teeth most vulnerable and save children several agonizing and painful trips to the dentist.

Fissure sealants are only put on permanent teeth. If your have a child that is suffering from a high degree of tooth decay in their baby teeth, then this is a sign of things to possibly come. It could mean that they are going to be highly susceptible to tooth decay in their teen years and adulthood. The best advice is to maintain the baby teeth as best as possible and seal the permanent teeth as soon as they are ready. This will save a lot of hassle and painful dental procedures in the future.

In a perfect world, out teeth would be flat and likely self cleaning. However, we do not live in a perfect world. Are teeth are grooved with many pits, valleys and peaks. These are very beautiful when one thinks of mountain ranges but for teeth they are bacteria breeding grounds. One way to correct this problem is with the use of fissure sealants. These coat the teeth creating a barrier between the surface of the tooth and whatever it comes into contact with. This reduces the amount of contact food can have, the amount of bacteria and the amount of tooth decay.

Closing the Gap with Fissure Sealants