Tooth Sealants – Simple Protection Against Decay in Grooves & Fissures
Tooth fissure sealants are a gentle, mercury-free way to help prevent decay – especially in the deep grooves of back teeth where cavities nearly always start first.
Tooth sealants and “fissure sealing” are suitable for children, teenagers and many adults. They involve coating the vulnerable grooves on the biting surfaces of teeth with a tooth-coloured material that makes them smoother and easier to clean – without drilling in most cases.
At the SmileSpecialist® Centre in Haworth (near Bradford, Keighley & Leeds), Dr Tony Kilcoyne and the team use sealants as part of an overall prevention-focused plan – helping you and your family avoid future fillings wherever possible.
Tooth fissure sealants coat and protect teeth from surface attack. They are applied into the tiny grooves and fissures on the biting surfaces of teeth – the areas where decay starts first in most people.
Sealants are usually clear or tooth-coloured materials that are bonded onto the tooth surface. By turning a deep plaque-trapping groove into a shallower, smoother surface, they make cleaning easier and dramatically reduce the risk of decay.
Back teeth almost always have these deep grooves, and plaque bacteria plus sugary foods can easily become trapped there. Chewing simply pushes food deeper into the fissures, so the same spot is repeatedly attacked by acid – eventually creating a cavity unless it is protected.
Every time you eat, the bacteria in plaque produce acid. In deep fissures, this acid repeatedly attacks the same small area. Over 80% of cavities start on the biting surfaces in these grooves.
Once a cavity forms, bacteria can invade the tooth, and a filling is needed. Even the best filling is still a “repair” that may need replacement over time – often getting larger at each replacement.
Wouldn’t it be better to seal teeth early and avoid the decay, cavities and fillings in the first place? That is exactly what fissure sealants aim to do – especially on newly erupted second teeth in children and teenagers.
Sadly, access to routine NHS dentistry has become increasingly difficult in many parts of England, meaning some people miss out on these simple preventive options. We often discuss these wider issues and encourage families to focus on prevention now, before problems become more complex and costly later.
The good news is that sealant treatment is usually quick, comfortable and non-invasive. In many cases there is no injection and no drilling, especially if we act before decay has started.
The typical steps are:
- Thoroughly cleaning the tooth and grooves to remove plaque and debris.
- Drying the surface and applying a gentle conditioning gel to help bonding.
- Brushing the liquid sealant material into the grooves and pits.
- Hardening the sealant – usually with a special blue light.
- Checking the bite and smoothing any high spots if needed.
Once set, the deep grooves are sealed and can be kept just as clean as the other smooth surfaces of the tooth. This makes brushing easier for children and adults alike.
Traditional methods like a sharp metal probe or standard X-rays are not always sensitive enough to detect very early decay in fissures. At the SmileSpecialist® Centre we also use a laser decay-detecting probe, which can pick up early changes before a visible cavity forms.
This allows us, in suitable cases, to remove any tiny softened spot, place a small tooth-coloured filling if needed, and then seal over all the remaining grooves to prevent further breakdown.
Sealants are only one part of an effective prevention programme. We will also discuss:
- Reducing the number of daily sugar attacks on teeth.
- Improved toothbrushing and interdental cleaning techniques.
- Use of fluoride toothpastes or topical applications where appropriate.
- Tailored advice based on diet, saliva flow and individual risk factors.
Dental decay is largely preventable with good planning, if professional advice is followed and home care is consistent.
Below is an example of severe decay when prevention has been lacking – imagine how much worse the back teeth, with their deeper grooves, might be:
The best filling is a healthy tooth with no filling at all. Sealants, good diet habits and effective cleaning all work together to keep teeth in that condition for as long as possible.
At our Practice, tooth fissure sealing costs from around £45 per tooth, providing everything is favourable for the procedure. Where a little early decay has already started in a groove, a small tooth-coloured filling can repair this area and then:
- The filling and all surrounding grooves are sealed on top, as part of a Preventive Resin Restoration (PRR).
PRRs generally cost more than a simple sealant (from around £95 per tooth depending on size) but can still be much kinder to the tooth than a larger conventional filling later.
We believe that investing in prevention now saves teeth, money and discomfort later on, especially for children and young adults whose second teeth we want to protect for life.
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Sealants are not a substitute for good oral hygiene – they are a powerful extra layer of protection. As well as regular check-ups to prevent problems (or catch them very early), it is vital to:
- Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, paying attention to back teeth.
- Clean between teeth with floss or interdental brushes.
- Limit how often you have sugary foods and drinks each day.
- Attend recommended review visits so we can check and top-up sealants if needed.
To learn more about effective cleaning and gum health, please see:
FAQs about tooth fissure sealants at the SmileSpecialist® Centre
Tooth sealants are thin, protective coatings that are bonded into the grooves and pits on the biting surfaces of teeth. They turn deep, plaque-trapping fissures into shallower, smoother surfaces that are easier to keep clean.
By physically blocking bacteria and food from sitting in these grooves, sealants greatly reduce the risk of decay starting there – especially in back teeth that are hardest to reach with a toothbrush.
We often recommend sealants once the first and second permanent molars have fully erupted into the mouth – typically from around age 6–7 and again around 11–13, depending on the child.
However, there is no strict upper age limit. Teenagers and adults with deep grooves or a history of decay may also benefit from sealants on suitable teeth, once we have examined them.
No – for most patients, sealants are completely painless. We are simply cleaning and conditioning the surface, then applying the sealant material and setting it with a light.
Injections or drilling are only needed if there is already a cavity that must be cleaned out before we can place a small filling and then seal over it. When done early enough, however, sealants are a very gentle, non-invasive procedure.
Sealants can last for several years, but they are not necessarily permanent. They may wear, chip or need topping-up in places – especially in patients with heavy grinding or very strong chewing forces.
At each check-up we will assess the condition of your sealants. Small repairs or re-sealing can usually be done quickly to keep the protection effective over the longer term.
Sealants are highly effective at reducing decay in the sealed grooves, but they do not make a tooth “bulletproof”. Decay can still occur on other surfaces – for example, between teeth if cleaning is poor or sugar attacks are frequent.
This is why we always combine sealants with tailored advice on diet, brushing, flossing and fluoride use. Good home care and regular reviews are still essential.
No. Sealants can benefit children, teenagers and selected adults. At our fully private practice we can offer them based on clinical need rather than system restrictions.
Given the current difficulties many people face accessing NHS dental care, private prevention such as sealants can be a very worthwhile investment – particularly for growing children with newly erupted back teeth.
The only way to know for sure is to have a full dental examination. We will look at which teeth are present, how far they have erupted, the depth of any grooves and your overall risk of decay.
As a UK-registered Specialist in Prosthodontics, Dr Kilcoyne can also place sealants within a wider long-term plan – protecting teeth that may later support crowns, bridges or other advanced treatments.
To explore whether fissure sealants are appropriate for you or your family, please contact us to arrange an appointment or call 01535 644005 and leave your details.
The SmileSpecialist® Centre is located at 9–13 Station Road, Haworth, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD22 8NL – within easy reach of Bradford, Leeds, Blackburn, Halifax and the wider region.
Driving: Use postcode BD22 8NL or follow signs for Bradford (M606) then Keighley and Haworth, a popular Brontë and steam railway tourist area.
Train: Travel to Leeds central station, then take the Skipton train and get off at Keighley. It is a short taxi ride (around 10 minutes) to Haworth from there.
Bus: Buses run from Bradford or Leeds bus stations to Keighley, then on to Haworth.
Flight: The nearest airport is Leeds / Bradford (around 45 minutes’ drive), then Manchester Airport (around 1 hour 20 minutes’ drive), followed by bus, train or car as above.
*Dr Kilcoyne is a fully GDC-registered, trained dentist and Specialist* in the functional & cosmetic aspects of:
tooth implants , crowns , bridges , precision dentures , mini-implants , ceramics , veneers , occlusion , bonding and restoring smiles .
The planning of treatment options is just as important as the quality of the treatment itself. As a Specialist in Prosthodontics (GDC No. 58373), Dr Kilcoyne can help you get both right, first time where possible.
To access our prevention-focused and specialist expertise, please call 01535 644005 and leave your details, or use our Make Appointment page to request a consultation.
Wishing you good dental health AND a smile to be proud of, from all at the SmileSpecialist® Team.
As always, prevention is cheaper and better than cure – and that includes preventing holes in teeth that might otherwise need fillings for life.