In recent years, especially in the preschool period, fissure sealants in children's dental health are among the topics that many families are curious about.
Fissure sealants are a type of dental vaccine, first of all, if we start with what fissures are, the indented and slit-shaped surfaces of the teeth are called fissures. Fissure sealants are a material that covers all of these indentation and grooves on the tooth surface. We call this application of fissure sealants. Fissure is a kind of dental vaccine. Because it is an extremely easy and painless procedure in terms of preventing decay. Fissure application is the most ideal treatment method especially for children who have fear of the dentist or who will meet a dentist for the first time.
Fissure sealant can also be applied to small molars
Fissure application is often applied to the first molars, which are called 6-year-old teeth, or permanent teeth, but this is not a general rule, it can also be applied to milk teeth. In the same way, fissure sealant can be applied to the small molars, which we call premolars. Another application area is the developmental groove or cleft-shaped formations on the front or back teeth. These areas are ideal places for food accumulation and can easily develop cavities if good oral hygiene is not maintained. Such surfaces can also be protected from decay by covering them with fissure sealants. There is no loss of original tooth tissue in fissure application. After fissure sealant applications, patients are called for routine 6-month control sessions. Over time, the fissure sealant may wear out or disappear completely. In this case, the physician may renew the application if he/she deems it appropriate. The purpose of this application is to It is to protect molars, which are more easily eroded, especially until the age of 9-10, when children can fully apply their motor functions, i.e. brush their teeth effectively.
The most important element in preventive dentistry is to provide good oral hygiene
The fissure is a natural resin and does not have a negative effect on children's health and is a light-hardened material. Normally, its structure is exactly the same as composite fillings. It is just a more fluid material. It does not harm the child or the teeth. Fissure sealant and fluoride are important in terms of preventive dentistry, we cannot replace one with the other. When we say preventive dentistry, it is a whole. The most important element in preventive dentistry is to provide good oral hygiene. For this purpose, brushing teeth, flossing and using mouthwashes are extremely important. The concept of preventive dentistry is completed with fissure sealant and fluoride applications to be applied by the dentist. No application is more important than the other and none of them can replace the other. Fluoride is generally not applied to children under the age of 3. It is applied at regular intervals starting from the age of 3, within a program determined by the doctor according to the risk status. The ages of 6-7, when the first molar has fully erupted, are suitable for fissure sealant application. In cases where the doctor deems it necessary, it can also be applied to milk molars at younger ages.
