Fissure Sealants for molars?

amother

Sun, Jan 17 2021, 3:08 pm

Is it necessary for children to get fissure sealants on their teeth?
Are there reasons not to get this done? Can it cause any damage to the teeth?

amother

Goldenrod

Mon, Feb 08 2021, 2:30 pm

I did it for most of my kids. I was at a teaching hospital for a few of my kids, for a variety of reasons we had treatment there for a couple of years while we sorted everything and got them to a good place dentally. It was highly recommended to put in first and even second set of molars which need to last for life and come in when the child is still young, mouth is still small, they aren't necessarily getting there to brush well... they are now doing much better and we don't need to do it anymore, but no contraindications and was a good thing then.

amother

Olive

Mon, Feb 08 2021, 3:25 pm

Yes I would advise doing it. It adds an extra layer of protection as poster above says for children who aren’t necessarily brushing properly.

FranticFrummie

Mon, Feb 08 2021, 3:30 pm

Yes, very important. Some molars have small pits in the enamel, and some have sharper ridges than others. This makes it hard to keep them perfectly clean no matter how well you brush. A sealer will help smooth out any imperfections in the enamel and keep the plaque from sticking in tiny spaces.

I know people who are worried about using fluoride treatments, but I've never heard of anyone worrying about using tooth sealant.

oneofakind

Mon, Feb 08 2021, 4:39 pm

The problem is they come off easily. My DS had them and then very shortly, went to a specialist to get work under anesthesia and he told me some were gone. My DD actually felt them come off, and we went back to replace.

amother

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 7:16 am

oneofakind wrote:

This is what I'm concerned about. My children chew a lot of (sugarfree) gum and I wonder if this would make them come off more easily. (I also wonder if gum chewing is a better way to protect the teeth...)