What are Pit and Fissure Sealants?
Almost 9 out of every 10 cavities in children occur on the biting surfaces of the teeth. There are two reasons for this:
- fluoride is not very effective in these pit and fissure areas as it is on smooth surfaces, such as between the teeth;
- the grooves in some teeth are often so deep as to prevent the bristles of a brush from cleaning the area of food and bacteria.
Food and plaque gain access deep into the groove where a toothbrush bristle simply won’t reach, and a cavity develops easily. The pit and fissure sealant is a bonded plastic that essentially “plugs up” the groove and therefore, prevents a cavity.
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