Deep occlusal fissures offer food remnants a place to lodge, making it possible to adhere bacteria. Furthermore the toothbrush is helpless in such a situation. The bacteria multiply rapidly and as a sticky mass adhere to the teeth and aggressively produce acid. We offer our patients professional fissure sealants; with this the posterior teeth can be protected for many years from caries attack.
Fissure sealants are white fluoride enriched plastic coatings that are painted onto the biting surface of the back teeth.
The top surfaces of the back teeth where the chewing takes place are not smooth and flat. They are cris-crossed with tiny hills and valleys called pits and fissures. To prevent cavities in the pits and fissures we can seal them off with a special varnish. This reduces the risk of decay six times compared to a tooth without fissure sealants.
The primary molars should have been completely erupted into the oral cavity with matured enamel. Teeth that should be fissure-sealed have to be isolated with good moisture control to have the best adhesive property. The fissure sealant should be administered 15-18 months after the teeth's eruption into the oral cavity.
The teeth ready to be fissure-sealed will be cleaned with an etching-gel and thoroughly rinsed with water to render the occlusal surface oil-free. Under absolute dry conditions a thin-flowing composite material will be applied onto the fissures, and with a special UV-lamp the composite would be hardened. With the fissure sealant the teeth are protected.
The renewing of the fissure sealant depends on the oral care and the diet of the child. On average a fissure-sealed tooth should be renewed every four years and checked at least twice a year.