Fissures are grooves that naturally occur on the biting surface of teeth. If the fissures are very deep toothbrush bristles may not reach inside to clean out food trapped in the fissure. Trapped food poses risk of acid accumulating and eating into the tooth creating a hole. Fissure sealants are a safe and painless way of protecting you and your children’s teeth from tooth decay. Dr Shapiro places fissure sealants as a preventative technique to stop decay. A fissure sealant is a plastic coating which covers the chewing surfaces of the teeth. The sealant forms a hard shield that keeps food and bacteria from getting into the tiny grooves in the teeth.
How is it applied:
It is quick and straightforward procedure taking only a few minutes per tooth. Dr Shapiro will clean and prepare the tooth. The liquid sealant is then applied and set hard using a laser light. It is pain free procedure.
Fissure sealants are tooth coloured so they are aesthetically pleasing.
Observing good oral hygiene and regular visits to the dentists will serve to maintain these sealants in place protecting the teeth.
