Sealant: The Proactive Filling

You may have heard of the cosmetic applications of tooth bonding, the method where dentists use a special resin to recast your teeth to remove gaps and restore chips and worn-down areas. However, this resin is protective as well as cosmetic, and it’s possible to use it on molars just as easily as on the front teeth. When it’s used in this way, it’s called fissure sealant.

Closing Cavity Central

Permanent molars start coming in as of age six, and as important as it is to brush thoroughly, not every young child is up to the job. Molars in particular are full of deep grooves known as pits and fissures, and it’s easy enough for these pits to fill up with bacteria colonies as the child fails to brush thoroughly enough to clean out every last dip and divot.

This is why many dentists are now recommending that children get their permanent molars sealed just as soon as they finish growing in. By coating these teeth in a durable resin, it’s possible to preserve them against cavities for as long as it takes for them to become adults with (hopefully) better brushing habits.

Extended Relief

Of course, kids aren’t the only ones who can benefit from a good fissure sealant. Adults get cavities just the same as children, and they aren’t any less likely just because there’s already a filling present.

Sealants may not be a guarantee against cavities, but they can definitely help keep them out of a problem area, and if you take good care of them they can last for up to ten years. They’re also a cost-effective protective measure: in most areas, sealing a tooth costs less than a filling and much less than a replacement crown or a root canal.

The best kind of medical care is protective care, and an easy way to protect the vulnerable enamel in your teeth is to seal it away from the bacteria which chew it up on a regular basis. The sealant resin may not be as hard or as sturdy as real enamel, but it’s close enough to make a good substitute.