Dental Sealant
Dental sealants also known as fissure sealants are defined as a preventive dental treatment, where a plastic material is placed in the pits and fissures or chewing surfaces of primary or permanent molar & premolar teeth at the back of the mouth.
The aim of fissure sealants is to prevent or arrest the development of dental caries. Preventing tooth decay from the pits and fissures of the teeth is achieved by the fissure sealants blocking these surfaces and therefore stopping food and bacteria from getting stuck in these grooves and fissures. Fissure sealants also provide a smooth surface that is easily accessible for both our natural protective factor, saliva and the toothbrush bristles when cleaning our teeth.
Indications for the use of dental sealants are individual patients or teeth that are at high risk of dental caries.
This includes patients with:
-
A history of dental caries
-
Deep retentive pits and fissures
-
Early signs of dental caries
-
Poor plaque control
-
Enamel defects, such as enamel hypoplasia
-
Orthodontics appliances.
Contrindications for the use of dental sealants are individual patients or teeth that are at a low risk of dental caries:
This includes patients with:
-
A balanced diet low in sugars or carbohydrates
-
Exceptional oral hygiene
-
Teeth with shallow, self-cleansing pits and fissures
-
Teeth that a partially erupted without adequate moisture control (operators may choose to use GIC in these cases)
-
Teeth with previously restored pits and fissures.