Fissure sealing refers to the filling and thus sealing of abnormal dental fissures. The tooth fissure is a medical term, which describes the valleys on the tooth structure where the enamel folds inwards. Cavities can occur more often here because of anatomic variations in the particular fissures. These abnormal fissures should be sealed with a thin layer of synthetic composite resin material to prevent bacteria from settling in the oral cavity (Fissure seal). If the fissure is already polluted, it will have to be cleaned and perhaps even slightly expanded with a grinder. This is called an extended or invasive fissure seal. If the filling is small, you also call it an extended fissure sealing. Particular dangers associated with fissure seals are bite variations, development of secondary caries if the seal is not done correctly and thermal sensitivity if, for example, the etching gel was not used properly. Learn more about the sealing of dental fissures in this video.

Produced: 02/2011