Oral Health Care
Caring for Your SmileFissure Sealants
Fissure sealants are a safe and painless way or protecting back teeth from decay. A fissure sealant is a protective plastic coating, which is applied to the biting surfaces of the teeth. The sealant forms a hard shield that keeps food and plaque from getting into the tiny grooves in the teeth and causing decay.
Sealants are applied when the adult teeth come through. This is usually from about age 6. The rest of the adult back teeth usually appear from about age 11.
Fissure sealants are a quick and painless only taking a few minutes for each tooth. They do wear out over time and may need topping up so you still need to visit your dentist for regular check-ups. And of course you still need to brush your teeth!
The tooth is cleaned with a special solution and then dried. The liquid sealant is then applied and is set hard by shining a bright light onto it.