Picture 1. This shows a molar tooth with a pit and deep fissure.

Food, debris and bacteria can erode the fissure and lead to tooth decay.

Picture 2. This shows a molar tooth with a completed fissure sealant.

Fissure  sealants come in either white or clear. Picture shown on the left shows a white fissure sealant has been placed. White fissure sealants allow the dentist to quickly visually establish how much of the fissure sealant has

eroded.

Clear fissure sealant has the advantage of allowing the dentist to visually determine if decay has started under a fissure sealant.

Both clear and white fissure sealants are available at Gleaming Dental.

Picture 3. If a deep pit and fissure in a molar tooth is left without a fissure sealant food, debris and bacteria can erode the fissure, leading to decay that continues down into the softer, dentine area of the tooth. Once the decay has reached dentine, it has a free rein to continue to erode the tooth.

No amount of brushing or rinsing will stop further tooth decay at this stage and dentist intervention is required to prevent the decay from inevitably reaching the nerve and causing the dreaded toothache.