PREVENTIVE SEALING OF THE

FISSURES

Students: Evangelos Raftopoulos GROUP 17

Georgios Sideris
Stanislav Petrov
Anastasia Moysoglou
Local Fluorides are highly effective in reducing the number of carious lesions
occurring on the smooth surfaces of enamel and cementum.
Local Fluorides are not equally effective in protecting the occlusal pits and
fissures, where the majority of carious lesions occur.
Following the use of fluorides, there is a large reduction of incidence in
smooth-surface caries, but a smaller reduction in occlusal pit-and-fissure
caries.
One reason that the carious lesions occur on the occlusal surface
is that the toothbrush bristle has a greater diameter than the width of the
fissure.The fissure cannot be cleaned with the toothbrush.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, another option became available
the use of pit-and-fissure sealants.A liquid resin, more commonly called a
dental sealant.The placement of sealants is a highly effective means for
preventing carious lesions in the pits and fissures in both primary and
permanent teeth
Dental sealant is placed over the occlusal surface of the tooth, where
it penetrates the deep fissures to fill areas that cannot be cleaned with the
toothbrush.
The liquid resin/ sealant then solidifies
The hardened sealant presents a barrier between the tooth and the
aggressive oral environment. Beneath the barrier there is a significant
reduction of Streptococcus mutans.Pits and fissures serve as reservoirs for
mutans streptococci.Therefore, sealing the niche reduces their oral count.
Bisphenol A-glycidyl methylacrylate (Bis-GMA) is now the sealant of
choice.Since then more effective second- and third-generation sealants have
become available The primary difference between sealants is the method of
polymerization
Some sealants contain fillers. The products was classified like filled and
unfilled sealants. The primary difference between sealants is the method of
polymerization.Some sealants contain fillers. The products were classified
like filled and unfilled sealants. The filled sealants contain microscopic glass
beads, quartz particles, and other fillers used in composite resins.
The fillers make the sealant more resistant to abrasion and wear.
Because filled sealants are more resistant to abrasion, the occlusion should
be checked, and the sealant height may need to be adjusted after
placement. The unfilled sealants wear quicker, but usually do not need
occlusal adjustment.
 INDICATIONS

A deep occlusal fissure, fossa, or incisal lingual pit is present. The fossa
selected for sealant placement is well isolated from another fossa with a
restoration.The area selected ( fossa or fissure) is confined to a fully erupted
fossa/ fissure.The selected tooth has an intact occlusal surface, when the
contralateral tooth surface (surface of tooth in opposite arch) is carious or
restored; An incipient lesion exists in the pit-and-fissure area.Sealant material
can be flowed over a conservative class I composite or amalgam to improve
the marginal integrity, and into the remaining pits and fissures to further
prevent recurrent decay.