FISSURE SEALANTS

Fissure sealants are a safe and painless way of protecting your children’s teeth from decay and can be applied once your child’s permanent back teeth have started to come through, usually at the age of about seven. The rest are usually sealed as soon as they appear which can be any time between 11 and 14 years of age.

How it works

A sealant is a protective plastic coating, which is applied to the biting surfaces of the back teeth – the sealant forms a hard shield that keeps food and bacteria from getting into the tiny grooves (fissures) in the teeth and causing decay. The sealant forms a smooth, protective barrier by covering all the little grooves and dips in the surface of the tooth, where dental decay would easily start otherwise. Fissure sealants are only applied to the back teeth – the molars and premolars – because these are the teeth that have pits and fissures on their biting surfaces. The team at Tewkesbury Dental will tell you which teeth should be sealed after they have examined them and checked whether the fissures are deep enough for sealing to help. Some teeth naturally have deep grooves which will need to be sealed; others have shallow ones which won’t need sealing.

How long does it last?

The process is usually quick and straightforward, taking only a few minutes for each tooth: the tooth is cleaned, primed and dried and the liquid sealant is then applied and set hard with a bright light. The sealant can last for as long as 5 to 10 years. Please get in touch if you believe your child needs fissure sealants. Telephone 01684 295900 | Email us here