Fissure Sealants

Fissure Sealants Fissure Sealants

Fissure sealants or dental sealants refers to a plastic which the dentist bonds into the grooves of the chewing surface of a tooth as a means of helping to prevent the formation of tooth decay (cavities).

Tooth decay is caused by the white film that forms on a persons teeth, dentists refer to this film as PLAQUE. The longer PLAQUE remains on a tooth’s surface the more likely it will be able to create a cavity. The idea behind brushing teeth is that the PLAQUE that has accumulated on a tooth’s surface is scrubbed off. Some teeth however, especially molars, are difficult for a person to clean because the grooves in the chewing part of the tooth (pits and fissures) are deep and narrow. Even though the person brushes they can not clean the PLAQUE off adequately because the bristles of their toothbrush are literally too large to gain access into the bottom of the tooth’s grooves. Because some PLAQUE is not cleaned off a cavity can develop.

At Elite@Arches Dental our dentist can combat this situation by bonding a flowable plastic (fissure sealant) into the grooves of a tooth. The net result is that the surface of the tooth is somewhat flatter and smoother. There are no longer any places on the chewing part of the tooth that the bristles of a toothbrush cant reach and clean. Since PLAQUE can be removed more easily and effectively, there is much less chance that decay will start.