When our teeth erupt, they have deep groves in them. The fissures provide hiding places for the bacteria in our mouth, which first stick to the tooth and then produce acids that form holes in the tooth. The saliva and the brush don’t reach the bacteria in these fissures. Here is a short video demonstrating the fissures.
In order to prevent the bacteria from reaching and establishing themselves in the fissures, we can seal them with a plastic material, a fissure sealant. This should be done as soon as the tooth is out of the gum since the bacteria may rapidly reach the fissure (image A)and start making holes, as seen in image B.
Over time due to the changes in the mouth, the fissure sealant may become undermined by bacteria. Most of the fissure sealants are white opaque and do not allow an inspection of the fissures. We are using a newly developed fissure sealant that is clear and releases fluoride to further arrest any possible bacterial invasion and provide the best care for our patients.