Dental sealants are also referred to as pit and fissure sealants or even simply as fissure sealants. This is a format of dental treatment which takes care of tooth decay. Following are some effective ways to overcome such issues:

1. It is known that teeth have recesses in the surface from which we bite. The back teeth have what we call fissures or grooves, and the front teeth have cingulum pits. It is also known that these pits and fissures are prone to tooth decay. This is because food bits and particles tend to get stuck in them. Thereby, these become what we call “hard to clean” places. Dental sealants are substances which are put into these grooves so that they get filled in. The net result of such fillings is that the overall surface becomes smooth and thereby somewhat easier to clean and maintain. At times, dental sealants are also used for children who have more of a chance of getting tooth decay.
2. Incidentally, dental caries is an instance of imbalance between the gain and loss of minerals from the surface of the tooth. The latter occurs when the bacteria in our mouth region ferments up the food bits and releases certain acids which tend to corrode the tooth structure. The former happens due to minerals coming into the mouth in our saliva and due to the presence of fluorides. This imbalance happens due to a variety of reasons like not maintaining good oral hygiene habits, less intake of fluorides in our diet et al.The eventual result of all this is tooth decay. As touched upon before, the biting region of the back teeth is very much in the target zone for tooth decay. Fissure sealants are what is termed ‘preventive treatment’ for this. With this treatment, the onset of tooth decay is curtailed or prevented so that the tooth does not reach the stage of getting what is frequently called a “hole in the tooth.” If this happens, one has to go in for a form of dental restoration to undo the wrong which has happened. Other than sealants, one can also go in for a thorough educative program on how to have good oral hygiene habits. This also includes learning how to use the toothbrush properly and using a fluoride toothpaste for this along with good intake of fluoride supplements and applying fluorides on the tooth surface.
3. The fissure sealants form a physical barrier and level out the tooth surface in such a manner that one can clean it properly. With this kind of leveling, one can clean up the mouth even with a thorough rinsing and not get into brushing teeth every time after consuming something to eat or drink. The smooth surface also ensures that saliva which has minerals in it can reach every corner of the tooth. Incidentally, sealants are made from plastic like substance.

For details contact: East Cobb Family Dentistry, 2969 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta, GA 30062. Call: (770) 913-6800.