Whether to do pit and fissure sealing, these points must be clarified!

Nowadays, pit and fissure sealing has become a routine oral health care item in schools. However, many parents are still confused when they see the consultation form. To do it or not? This is indeed a question.

01 Sensitive areas of tooth decay

It is well known that different people have different sensitivities to tooth decay. In fact, for the same person, different teeth, different tooth surfaces of the same tooth, and even different positions on the same tooth surface may have different sensitivities to tooth decay.

For example, with regard to different teeth, molars are more susceptible to decay than incisors (front teeth); with regard to different tooth surfaces of the same tooth, the occlusal surface and adjacent surface of molars are more susceptible to decay than the buccal/lingual and palatal surfaces; and for the occlusal surface of molars, the most dangerous position is the pits and fissures.

This is because no matter how fine the bristles of a toothbrush are, they cannot penetrate deep into the pits and fissures. In sharp contrast, bacteria can penetrate everywhere. Therefore, hoping to remove the bacteria in the pits and fissures by brushing your teeth is like "scratching an itch through a shoe". Not only toothbrushes, but any other oral care products are also ineffective against the bacteria in the pits and fissures. This means that relying solely on self-oral care cannot fundamentally prevent the occurrence of pit and fissure caries (a common type of tooth decay).

Since there is no way to remove the bacteria in the pits and fissures, why not seal the hiding place of the bacteria? The so-called pit and fissure sealing technique came into being. It is currently the most effective means to prevent pit and fissure caries, without a doubt.

02 Is pit and fissure sealing suitable for everyone?

Since fissure sealants are used to prevent tooth decay, everyone has teeth that are molar, so why only do it for children? I don’t mean to dislike anyone here, but there are two reasons:

First, fissure sealing is not a treatment technique, but a preventive technique, so it is only suitable for teeth that have not yet developed tooth decay. For adults, it is very likely that the molars have already been decayed. And decayed teeth need to be treated with restorative treatment;

Second, if your molar occlusal surface is lucky enough to be free of caries, it means that you are not sensitive to pit and fissure caries. It is very likely that the molar groove structure of your molars is not the type that is bottomless. In other words, you are not prone to pit and fissure caries. You don't need to wait for decades to make this judgment. If a molar erupts within 4 years and there is no tooth decay, pit and fissure sealing is generally not necessary;

Therefore, there is no need to perform pit and fissure sealing on adult molars, regardless of whether they are decayed or not.

03 Is it necessary to do pit and fissure sealing surgery?

1 Look at the teeth themselves. As mentioned above, pit and fissure sealants are mainly used for deep pits and fissures on the occlusal surface of molars. Teeth with shallow pits and fissures on the occlusal surface (which can be found out through examination) and good self-cleaning function are not suitable and naturally do not need it;

2 Check other teeth. If the child is prone to tooth decay, such as other teeth in the mouth already have tooth decay, especially the opposite molars with the same name have a tendency to develop tooth decay or have already had tooth decay, the molars that have not yet had tooth decay should have pit and fissure sealing performed as soon as possible.

04 What should you pay attention to after doing pit and fissure sealing?

Regular follow-up examinations should be performed to eliminate the possibility of sealant loss and tooth decay occurring again.