What does sealing molars do exactly?

Question

I went to the dentist yesterday and they informed me that the sealants fell off my molars so they were going to re-do them somtime. So that left me wondering, why exactly do my molars need to be sealed?

Answer 1

Your bicuspids and molars have deep pits and fissures in them. These are the little grooves and valleys you see on your teeth when you look at them. This is a prime area for decay to start as these areas by their anatomy are hard areas to really get into for cleaning and brushing. Sealants are used on the molars primarily and sometimes the bicuspids to help seal these areas to help prevent decay. The procedure is very easy. The tooth is etched ( roughened up just a bit, no harm is done to the tooth ) and the sealant material is painted on and then cured with a special light to help dry the material and adhere it to the tooth. As you have found out, yes they can come off. The material is not permanently adhered so this is a possibility.
I always recommend sealants to my patients...although they are not guaranteed to prevent decay in this area of the tooth, it is much more effective having them on and helping to prevent it.
I say get them redone! It is harmless, painless and a very economical procedure to help protect your teeth.

Answer 2

My molars were sealed when I was very young because I have a lot of grooves and indentations, which creates a lot of places for cavities to form. My dentist told me that even with regular and thorough brushings, because of the shape and density of my teeth, they're more prone to cavities than other people's teeth. The sealant fills in all the grooves and keeps food from getting stuck in there and causing cavities. Trust me, it's much better to have the sealant done than to have to have a bunch of cavities filled later.

Answer 3

Molars have cusps and fissures. Fissures are usually deep and narrow which makes reaching these areas very hard while cleaning (the brush is too big to go there), and as a result, accumulating sugars and bacteria will cause decay. In teenagers, the most common site of decay is these fissures.

Sealants seal these deep grooves to keep them away from sugars and bacteria. They have a very high success rate in preventing decay "up to 50% and maybe more"