Benefits of Sealants

How does a sealant help prevent decay?

A sealant is a plastic material that is usually applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth – premolars and molars.  This plastic resin bonds into the depressions and grooves (pits and fissures) of the chewing surfaces of back teeth.  The sealant acts as a barrier, protecting enamel from plaque and acids.

What causes tooth decay?

Your teeth are covered with a sticky film of bacteria, called plaque.  Plaque bacteria use sugar and starch in food as a source of energy.  The bacteria convert the sugar or starch into harmful acids that attack tooth enamel for as long as 20 minutes or more.  Repeated attacks may cause the enamel to break down, resulting in cavities.

Why aren’t sealants used on all teeth?

Thorough brushing and flossing help remove food particles and plaque from smooth surfaces of teeth.  Pits and fissures, however, are places that are extremely difficult to clean.  Toothbrush bristles cannot reach all the way into the depressions and grooves to extract food and plaque.  The normal flow of saliva, which helps clean food particles from other areas of the mouth, cannot “wash out” pits and fissures.  So they are places that are especially prone to decay.  In fact, most cavities form in pit and fissure areas, and permanent molars are extremely susceptible to this form of decay.  Sealants protect these vulnerable areas by “sealing out” plaque and food.