Fissure sealing means fill and therefore sealing of abnormal toothfissures.

Fissure sealing is an approved method of cavity prevention and tooth preservation. It should be part of a program of preventive care.

Fissure is a term used to designate the indentations in the chewing surfaces of the side teeth. This distinguishes them from the humps. Teeth usually have one main fissure, which runs lengthwise along the tooth and is therefore called longitudinal fissure. Correspondingly, the many smaller crosswise fissures are called transverse fissures. Everyone's tooth structure is more or less the same in this respect.

There are some minor differences, however, for example fissures can be very narrow. The animation shows a cross-section of a „normal“ fissure, which is easy to clean using a toothbrush. And now a cross-section of an abnormal fissure – a minor difference with grave consequences – and the reason why some people are more likely to develop fissure cavities than others, while some people do not get them at all-more on this in the same named video.

If a fissure is at risk of developing cavities, after the tooth comes through a dentist should use a thin resin or filling compound to seal it and prevent invasion by oral microflora (a procedure called fissure sealing). If the fissure has already been invaded, it must first be cleaned and then perhaps expanded by drilling (known as extended or invasive fissure sealing).

There are no alternatives to the fissure sealing. Specific risks of the fissure sealing are, for example:

• change of bite
• formation of secondary cavity, if sealing is not carried out properly
• sensory disturbances, thus sensitive tooth necks, if there´s a careless handling with etching gel

Complications can be prevented with careful implementation.