PIT AND FISSURE SEALANTS

Pit and fissure sealants are an easy and non invasive dental procedure used to protect primary and adult teeth that have deep grooves on the tops of molars from decay. They however do not protect cavities from in between the teeth. These are primarily done on children. I will discuss the procedure in more depth.

First the tooth or teeth are assessed for the need of sealants. If a child has very deep grooves in their molars, this is an extremely simple procedure to protect against cavities. First the tooth or teeth are cleaned with pumice and water usually with a brush on a slow speed handpiece. Then the tooth or teeth are thoroughly cleaned with water and dried. Acid etch is then applied and after the manufactures recommended time it is rinsed off, usually 20-30 seconds. The acid etch is needed to open the pores of the enamel to enable the sealant to bond to the tooth/teeth. Cotton rolls and/or dry angles are used to isolate the tooth or teeth to keep area dry. The white sealant material is then applied into the grooves of the tooth/teeth sparingly. As pictured above a curing light is used for the sealant to harden usually around 30 seconds. The edges of the sealant are then checked with explorer to ensure it has been cured. The occlusion or bite is checked with articulating paper and the sealant is adjusted if it’s too high.

In conclusion, pit and fissure sealants are a simple and preventative dental procedure that helps protect molars from decay on the top part of the tooth and NOT in between teeth. This procedure does not take long and the best part it is pain free so freezing is not required. Easy peasy!