JOIN USDentistry has been around for several years, but decay and eventual loss of teeth still remains a common problem all over the world. The top surfaces of your teeth — where the chewing takes place — aren’t smooth and flat.
They are criss-cross with tiny hills and valleys, called pits and fissures. These are places where plaque can build up, safe from your toothbrush and dental floss. Some of the pits and fissures are so narrow that even a single bristle from your toothbrush can’t get deep enough to clean them out.
Most of the time, the teeth at the back (the premolars and molars) have the most grooves, however, the teeth at the front (incisors and canines) can also have pits and fissures.
A stitch in time saves nine! Since it is a known fact that these pits and fissures are more susceptible for decay, sealing them off even before they get decayed will save you from the exorbitant and laborious procedure of having to get your tooth filled, or the pain and discomfort encountered during a root canal treatment, or an extraction.
One of the simplest and painless methods of preventing cavities from developing in the pits and fissures is to seal them off with a special cement called a ‘pit and fissure sealant’. A sealant is a protective plastic coating which is applied to the biting surfaces of the back teeth.
The sealant forms a hard shield that keeps food and bacteria from getting into the tiny grooves in the teeth and causing decay. It not only prevents decay, but also arrests the progression of decay. Sealants have been in use since the 1970s, but very few people are informed of its various advantages.
Not everyone needs a sealant. On clinical examination, your dentist will be able to determine if you are an ideal candidate for this treatment. Children and adolescents with deep inaccessible pits and fissures, who already have several filled or decayed teeth, are exposed to non-fluoridated water, brush less than twice a day, and frequently snack on sugary eats and drinks, are ideal for this treatment. It is best if the sealant is applied soon after the permanent tooth has erupted, before it has a chance to decay.
Applying sealants does not require drilling or removing tooth structure. If your dentist determines that you need a pit and fissure sealant to help protect your teeth from decay, some special steps are taken to prepare the teeth. Your dentist will thoroughly clean the tooth first, then apply a mild acid solution to ‘etch’ the surface of the tooth.
This etching solution is a blue gel-like liquid that facilitates the pit and fissure sealant to interlock with the tooth surface in a better manner. The etching solution is then washed away and the tooth is dried. Keeping the tooth and its surrounding area dry and away from your saliva during the application of the sealant is a very important factor that determines the success of the treatment.
If the tooth gets wet, the sealant might not stick properly, and will get displaced from the tooth. Once the tooth is ready, your dentist ‘paints’ the sealant right over the pits and fissures on the tooth surface, covering the areas that he has previously etched.
The material most commonly used is a resin-based sealant, although glass inomer may also be used sometimes. A special kind of light (mostly blue in colour) cures the sealant and changes it from a semi-solid to a solid.
Additionally, your dentist will check for any discrepancies in your bite. Once you are comfortable with the sealant, the tooth is ready for use.
Having the sealant in place does not mean that you no longer need to care about your teeth. The treatment is most effective when it is coupled with the right kind of diet, proper maintenence, and brushing twice a day with a fluoride-containing toothpaste. Studies show that, along with good home care, this uncomplicated and pain-free procedure has been shown to reduce decay by a whopping 78 per cent.
Sealants usually last for many years, but they can wear over time. Therefore, in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of the treatment, it is important to visit your dentist once every eight to 12 months. Your dentist will help determine if the sealant is still well adapted to the borders. If needed, the dentist may add or replace some sealant to be sure that no decay can start underneath them.
Dental treatment can sometimes prove to be quite a torment.
So, the next time you visit your dentist for a routine checkup, make sure you ask him if you are an ideal patient for a pit and fissure sealant treatment. After all, prevention is always better than cure.