Fissure Seals & White Fillings

Fissure sealants are an excellent means to preventing tooth decay and cavities on the biting surfaces of teeth. In nature the shapes  of the occlusal ( biting) contours of the teeth can be likened to hills and valleys. Sometimes the fissures, pits and grooves ( valleys) are very steep and as such attract and retain plaque and foodstuffs. The acids which get produced by the fermentation process which follows  results in cavities forming. Fissure sealants are a non-invasive effective way of sealing these grooves beforehand.

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Fissures are the grooves that occur naturally on the biting surfaces of the teeth. All back teeth [molars and premolars] have grooves of greater or lesser depth. Occasionally these fissures occur on the inside aspect of the upper front teeth as well.

As these grooves are very tiny, bacteria and foodstuffs lodge and are not effectively cleaned away by either saliva or even tooth brushing. The presence of this trapped plaque often results in the beginning of tooth decay.

Fissure sealants & white fillings

Fissure sealants are plastic coatings that fill these micro spaces thus preventing the build up of plaque in the first place.

The best time to place a sealant is soon after the permanent tooth has erupted. Studies have shown that sealed teeth have much less risk of developing decay than teeth which have not been sealed

Technique 

This treatment is painless and non-invasive and requires the careful cleaning out of the grooved surface. A stain is applied to ensure complete elimination of plaque and any possible decay, the surface is prepare with a mild acidic solution, dried, bond cured in place and the sealer is then applied and set hard with a curing light .

At Kissing Point Dental we are an amalgam free practice and any restorations placed in your child’s mouth will be tooth coloured.