Q: WHAT can protect your child's tooth in five minutes and keep it protected for years?
A: Fissure sealants.
Because of their many bumps and grooves, the chewing surfaces of children's teeth are highly susceptible to cavities. Back teeth have small hollows known as ‘pits’ and tiny grooves called ‘fissures' on their biting surfaces. A fissure sealant is white cream that is bonded on to a tooth to form a protective layer over the fissures. This keeps food and bacteria from getting stuck in the fissures and causing decay.
Fissure caries has been shown to account for 83 per cent of the total decay seen in children between the ages of five and 17 years. Fortunately sealants on adult molar teeth reduce their risk of getting a cavity by a whopping 80 per cent.
As early as 1905 one pioneer of dentistry, Willoughby Miller, attempted to stop teeth getting holes by applying silver nitrate to the tooth surface. Modern dental sealants are made from white materials known as resin or glass ionomer.
Its a quick, painless process that takes a matter of minutes so its ideal even for a child who is frightened of the dentist. The tooth is cleaned, dried and special creams are applied. The liquid sealant is then set hard by shining a bright light on to it.
Sealants are placed as soon as the first adult teeth start to come through, at around six years old. The rest can be sealed just after they erupt any time between 11 and 14 years old.
Even though sealants wear naturally over time, they have the potential to remain effective for five years or longer, despite the heavy pressures endured by teeth during chewing each day.
Some people are concerned about having dental sealants as they contain a substance called bisphenol A (BPA). Based on current evidence, there is no health concern relative to BPA exposure from any dental material.The potential amount of BPA patients could be exposed to when receiving sealants is miniscule, and it’s less than the amount a person receives from breathing air or handling a receipt.
Having fissure sealants are there to help keep teeth strong but it doesn't mean that you can throw caution to the wind. Keep up the twice-daily brushing with a fluoride toothpaste and reduce the frequency that the child eats sugary foods.
