What Is Dental Sealant?

Your dentist may recommend that you are fitted with a dental sealant. Although the very earliest dental sealants were developed in the early years of the twentieth century, they are not widely known about by the general public. Many people who are recommended them in Australia today have little idea of what these sealants are and what they might be used for. If your dentist has suggested you might benefit from a dental sealant, then read on.

Why Fit Dental Sealants?

When you brush your teeth, you do so in part to remove the bacteria and plaque that builds up on teeth. If you don't, then cavities can start to develop, which means you may need a filling or even for a tooth to be pulled, in the worst cases. However, brushing alone does not mean that you can always get rid of all of the bacteria and plaque that you need to. Some people have teeth which the bristles on brushes fail to reach. Commonly, this is because a patient's molars and premolars are pitted in some way that makes it harder to reach all of the surfaces. Dental sealants are usually recommended to overcome this problem.

What Are Dental Sealants Made From?

If you have a dental sealant placed over a tooth, then you can expect a piece of plastic to be inserted. Essentially, this locks onto the natural pits in a tooth to prevent the unwanted bacteria and plaque building up there. By generating a physical barrier from plastic, the tooth's pitted shape is effectively sealed off. Today, dentists use resin-based sealants as well as ones which are made from a form of glass ionomer cement. Different dentists have their own preferences for which materials to use to make a sealant.

Why Are Teeth Pitted?

If you need a sealant to protect one or more of your teeth, then you may well ask yourself why your teeth are pitted in the first place. The reason is that teeth are shaped so that they meet one another in an interlocking fashion. Dentists refer to this as the occlusion of the teeth, formed as you raise your jaw up so the two sets meet. All teeth have grooves and shapes that allow for a good occlusion. In some individuals, these grooves are more pronounced than others which may mean that they are, unfortunately, more likely to suffer from localised tooth decay. Therefore, if you have a pitted tooth, a sealant may block it up for you on its occlusal surface, helping to protect it for years to come.