Naturally, there are many grooves, pits and fissures on the surface of our teeth, especially the posterior molar teeth. They are formed as results of natural tooth development. A tooth is formed by multiple “lobes” from a tooth bud in a neonatal. When these lobes are fused together, a fissure is created in between these two adjacent lobes.
Some people may have deep grooves on their teeth and these teeth are more likely to accumulate stains and food debris. Over time, bacteria in the food debris within the fissures will secrete acidic metabolic byproducts which would dissolve the tooth structure and thus forms the dental cavities.
Before these fissures and pits become decayed or cavitated, dentist would clean out any stains and apply a coating to seal off these small imperfection on the tooth. The coating is called dental sealants. Usually, pediatric dentist would apply sealants on kid’s teeth.
I routinely apply sealants for children and teenagers in my dental office. I would first check the tooth to make sure there is no decay or cavities on the tooth. I would polish off any superficial staining. Then I would chemically treat the tooth and then apply the sealants. The sealant is like a coating which helps protect the tooth.
If you have a child who hasn’t had sealant applications, you can bring him/her to my office for sealants.
Written by Daniel Tee, DDS, MS
Practicing Cosmetic Dentist Serving the city of Tempe, Chandler, Phoenix, Gilbert, and Mesa in Arizona.
Dental Office in Tempe AZ
