Fissure Sealants

What are Fissure Sealants?

Fissure sealants are great for protecting the large chewing surfaces of your back teeth. If you take a look at these teeth you’ll see the chewing surfaces are quite intricate and have deep grooves and fissures which help to grind up food more effectively. Unfortunately these grooves can easily trap food and can be tricky to thoroughly clean. Fissure sealants seal these surfaces with a thin plastic material, creating a smooth surface that is easy-to-clean. The sealant is painted onto the clean tooth surface and soon hardens.

Who Can Have Fissure Sealants?

We generally recommend applying sealants to adult teeth as soon as they erupt, but they can be applied to the chewing surfaces of any of the back teeth, at any age, provided these teeth do not already have any fillings or decay. Treatment is quick, inexpensive and non-invasive and fissure sealants should last for many years before they need replacing.