Sealants staying on teeth - Dental Health Message Board

mank · 11-09-2004, 08:14 AM

My son is 10 years old and we took him to the dentist yesterday.
He was going for a cleaning and we found out that the sealants they put in on 4 teeth have all come out.
She said that was unusual for all 4 to come out.
SO she cleaned his teeth and put all 4 back in.
Last night my sun told me that he though one sealant was already gone.
The only thing we were told was for him not to pick at them and not to drink or eat for 1/2 hour afterwards.
Well...why did this sealant not stay in. I find it unusal for him to have lost the other 4 and now this one. I wonder if the person putting them in knows what she is doing.
Has anyone else had any problems with their kids sealants not staying in?
The sealants are put on their permanant teeth to prevent cavities from happening.
Interested in anyone elses stories or advice as to what they have to say.
Thanks!

MANK

idracab · 01-23-2005, 08:19 AM

All I know about placing the sealants themselves is that the enamel area has to be as moisture-free as humanly possible in order for them to bond successfully. Perhaps she didnt blast the area long enough with air, although this seems a very basic mistake to make for a professional.

Personally, I have had fissure sealants placed on most of my back teeth and while you may get a year or two of protection from them, they do leak! I was horrified to find that the xray revealed a mass of decay lying unnoticed under a fissure seal. I have asked my dentist about this and he says that nowadays it's not worth it because if there is decalcification in the fissures, it can be remineralised with ozone as soon as it's discovered. Alternatively, if you really want to go down the road of fissure sealants, then ask the dentist to place an underlying layer of Fuji 7 below the regular sealant. Fuji 7 is an orange-coloured material that slowly releases fluoride onto the tooth, so even if the sealant does leak, decay won't occur or will occur at a much slower rate due to the fluoride.

norrell · 01-23-2005, 04:20 PM

I believe in sealants. There are several types of material that can be used to seal teeth these days. The Fuji sealants mentioned above is the best but not all dentist are using them. Yes sealants can leak but it's very very rare in my experience. I find that they are still worthwhile. The sealants that fell out of your son's teeth was unfortunate. Was he chewing gum or eating something stick to pull it out? That is a possibility. The other possibility is it was not placed well to begin with. Call your dentist and let them know that one sealant has already fell out. They should replace it at no charge. Don't loose hope, sealants are a very good preventative measure!

Yekcoh4 · 01-24-2005, 08:59 AM

When I was younger I lost a few to chewing gum and chewy candy, days, weeks, and even years after the sealants were placed. Of course I was young and stubborn and didnt want to stop eating candy so I had them replaced often

saxman26 · 01-24-2005, 10:35 AM

Yeah I ate too many sweets as a kid, I thought I was immortal... only now I wish I could go back knowing what I know now....