Sealants
As teeth develop in the early stages of life, four tooth buds fuse together to form the crown of the tooth. The pits, grooves or fissures on the biting surface are a result of the joining of these tooth buds. Some teeth fuse these parts together better than others. The “others” can have deep, narrow fissures which are prone to collecting food and plaque. These areas are susceptible to decay and difficult to clean. A sealant can be placed over this part of the tooth to protect it. It is a very simple procedure. We clean the tooth with a technique called air abrasion, essentially a miniature sandblaster used to clean out the deep fissures. An etching gel conditions the tooth for a few seconds and it is rinsed away. The sealant material is a flowable, liquid composite that covers the fissure. We use an intense light to harden the sealant onto the tooth. Sealants provide years of service for a tooth which otherwise is likely to need a filling soon.
