Sealing furrows

To avoid cavities, in addition to bi-daily brushing, there is an operation called groove sealing. Without pain, it is effective if your child’s teeth are healthy. The point on this operation.

Furrow sealing: a solution to prevent cavities

Despite a regular and bi-daily brushing, eight out of ten caries are formed in the grooves (the hollow of the inner side) molars, simply because the bristles of the toothbrush cannot penetrate the very bottom of the wells where hiding food debris and bacteria responsible for cavities. Sealing furrows allows to “pre-empt” caries by protecting the tooth from bacterial attack. According to a US study (countries where furrow sealing has become commonplace), this operation resulted in a 50% decrease in the incidence of caries.

Furrow sealing: a pain-free operation

The sealing of furrows is done by the dental surgeon, without anesthesia (it is absolutely not painful!). The procedure involves closing the cracks in the inside of the tooth with a polymer resin, which acts a bit like a protective “varnish”. Only imperative: that the tooth is perfectly healthy. Sealing takes several years but the child must still visit his dentist every six months to make sure the resin does not wear or come off.

When to make an appointment with the dentist to seal furrows?

The first permanent molars appear around 6 years of age: they have not been preceded by milk teeth and grow discreetly behind the premolars. From this age, you can make an appointment with the dentist to seal furrows, especially since the intervention is reimbursed by the Social Security! The 2nd molars appear around 11-12 years, but it will be necessary to wait 18 years for your child to see his third permanent molars, also called “wisdom teeth”.