What are dental fissure sealants?
A dental fissure sealant is a thin coating of dental filling material placed over the grooves on a tooth so food and bacteria are less likely to stick there. That can lower the chance of decay starting inside those grooves.
Healthdirect explains that the pits and grooves on teeth are called fissures, and that decay often begins in them. Sealants fill those grooves. They are thin coatings, similar to filling material, and they can look white or clear. Some sealants include fluoride.
The Australian Dental Association describes the same idea: a thin layer over the biting-surface grooves of back teeth, most often the adult molars of children and teenagers. Sometimes other teeth are considered too. Not every child, and not every tooth, needs a sealant. Your dentist will say whether it is recommended for your child.
Fissures can be very thin and deep. When food and bacteria sit in them again and again, the chance of decay inside those grooves rises (teeth.org.au). A sealant is one way to cover that hard-to-clean surface. It is not the only way to look after molars, and it is not suitable for every tooth.
This page is general information only. It is not a personal treatment plan. At AMK Dental Clinic in Mortlake, a general dentist looks at each tooth and discusses options with you first.
Why do children’s molars often get them?
Children’s back adult molars often have deep grooves that are hard to clean with a brush alone, so sealants are commonly considered soon after those teeth come through.
Better Health Channel notes that the first permanent molars erupt at about 6 years of age. Those four teeth, two in each jaw, come through behind the baby teeth. They do not replace a baby tooth that has fallen out. Second molars generally appear between 11 and 13. Timing differs between children.
Healthdirect says fissure sealants are most often placed from about 6 years and in teenagers, usually soon after the teeth have appeared. Deep grooves or pits are a common reason a dental professional may suggest them. The ADA likewise notes that thin, deep fissures can trap food and bacteria and raise the chance of decay inside the grooves.
Raising Children Network describes the school years as a mix of baby and adult teeth. From about 6 to 12, children still need help with brushing until their skill catches up, and new back molars need careful cleaning. That mix of new grooves and still-learning brushing is one reason parents and dentists talk about sealants in the primary-school years.
For a broader look at decay risk in those years, see preventing tooth decay in school-age children. That guide sits alongside this one: it covers daily habits and when sealants may come up; this page focuses on what a sealant is and what the visit usually involves.
What do sealants protect — and what do they not replace?
Sealants help protect the grooves they cover. They do not replace brushing, fluoride toothpaste, or sensible snacks and drinks, and they are not a complete shield against decay.
Healthdirect says sealants reduce how much food and bacteria stick in the fissures, which can help lower the chance of decay there. They cover pits and grooves that are hard to brush. They do not cover every surface of the tooth — the sides between teeth, the smooth outer faces, and the gum line still need daily care.
Daily habits still matter. Twice-daily brushing with the right amount of fluoride toothpaste, how to brush properly, and attention to snacking and your teeth all support the rest of the mouth. Raising Children Network also stresses low-sugar foods and drinks as part of looking after school-age teeth (Raising Children Network).
Healthdirect also mentions fluoride varnish as another option some dental professionals discuss. Varnish and sealants are different tools. Your dentist will explain which, if either, suits your child at that visit.
Chewing can wear a sealant down over time. Sometimes a sealant needs to be repaired or replaced. Your dental professional checks it at regular visits (healthdirect; teeth.org.au). Wear and how long a sealant lasts vary between children and between teeth. Sticky foods can also affect how long a coating stays in place, which is another reason check-ups matter.
What is the visit usually like?
A sealant visit usually involves cleaning and drying the tooth, preparing the surface, painting on liquid sealant, hardening it (often with a light), and checking the bite.
Healthdirect sets out those steps in order:
- Clean and dry the tooth
- Prepare the tooth surface
- Paint on the liquid fissure sealant
- Use a strong light to harden the sealant (some materials harden without a light)
- Check the bite and polish off any excess
Local anaesthetic is usually not needed. A dentist, dental hygienist or oral health therapist may place a sealant. Afterwards, you clean the teeth as usual; the sealed surface is smoother without deep open grooves (healthdirect).
Keeping the tooth dry during placement matters for how well the material bonds. Cotton rolls or similar aids may be used. If a child finds it hard to keep still or keep the mouth dry, the dentist may suggest waiting, placing sealants over more than one visit, or another approach. That is a clinical judgement for the appointment, not something this page can decide.
At AMK Dental Clinic in Mortlake, the dentist explains the benefits, limits and alternatives before any sealant is placed. Suitability depends on the tooth, how recently it erupted, whether decay is already present, and your child’s overall dental picture. If care sits outside general dental practice, we discuss referral with you.
When should we ask about sealants?
Ask at a dental check-up when new adult molars are through, or when you notice deep grooves on the biting surfaces.
Useful questions for the visit include:
- Are my child’s first (or second) adult molars through yet?
- Do any of those grooves look deep enough that a sealant might help?
- If a sealant is placed, how will you check it at later visits?
- What home care should we keep up around sealed teeth?
Raising Children Network advises asking your dentist how often your child needs a check-up, and notes that dentists often suggest every 6 to 12 months. A visit is a chance to look at new molars, brushing, diet and any sealant already in place. Our check-ups and cleans page describes a routine examination at AMK.
Some families may also ask whether the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) could apply to basic services such as fissure sealing. Eligibility and remaining balance must be confirmed for each child. This article does not list dollar amounts, caps or bulk-billing promises. We explain costs before treatment. Our separate CDBS FAQ for Mortlake families covers how to check a balance and what to bring.
You do not need to decide about sealants before you arrive. Bring your questions. The examination comes first. If a sealant is suitable on the day, the dentist will explain what will happen and any limits that apply to that tooth. If it is better to wait — for example until a tooth is further erupted or until the mouth can be kept dry — that is also a normal outcome of a careful check.
How do sealants fit with the rest of home care?
Sealants sit on top of daily care; they do not take its place.
After a sealant is placed, brushing continues morning and night with fluoride toothpaste suited to your child’s age. Spit out the toothpaste rather than rinsing it all away, if that is what your dentist has advised for your child. Clean between teeth that touch. Keep sugary and acidic snacks and drinks as occasional rather than constant through the day. Those habits protect the surfaces a sealant does not cover.
Raising Children Network reminds families that school-age children often still need an adult to supervise or help with brushing until their skill is reliable. New molars at the back of the mouth are often missed with a brush. A sealant can help in the grooves, but the brush still has to reach the rest of the tooth and the gum line.
If your child already has a sealant, mention it at the next check-up so the dentist can look for wear, chips or gaps at the edge. A worn sealant can sometimes be topped up or replaced. That decision is made after looking at the tooth, not from a fixed timetable on a website.
What sealants do not do
It helps to be clear about the limits.
Sealants do not treat decay that is already under the surface. If a tooth already needs a filling or other care, that is a different conversation. They do not straighten teeth, and they are not a substitute for a check-up. They do not make sugar harmless. They do not mean your child can skip fluoride toothpaste.
They also do not last forever in every mouth. Chewing wears the coating. Sticky sweets can tug at the material. Growth and bite changes can affect how a sealed surface meets the opposite tooth. Regular review is part of the plan (healthdirect; teeth.org.au).
Where a sealant is not suitable, your dentist may talk about closer watching, fluoride varnish, dietary advice, or treating a groove another way. The right choice depends on that tooth and that child.
Parents sometimes ask whether baby molars need sealants as well. Adult molars are the teeth most often discussed in Australian consumer guidance from healthdirect and the ADA, because those teeth stay for life and often erupt with deep grooves. Baby molars are a separate clinical question. Your dentist will say if any baby tooth is being considered, and why.
If your child is anxious about dental visits, tell the team when you book. Knowing what will happen — clean, prepare, paint, light, check bite — can help a child know what to expect. Our page on tips for a calmer dental visit has general ideas for the appointment day. Sealant placement is still a clinical procedure that needs a still, dry tooth, so the dentist may pause or reschedule if conditions are not right.
Book a children’s visit in Mortlake
AMK Dental Clinic offers children’s dentistry at Shop 3, 46 Tennyson Road, Mortlake NSW 2137. Families visit from Mortlake and nearby suburbs including Breakfast Point, Cabarita, Concord and Rhodes. Call (02) 9739 6525, use our contact page, or see how to book an appointment at AMK.
Bring any questions about grooves, new molars or sealants to the appointment. Your dentist will examine the teeth and talk through whether a sealant is suitable for that child at that time.
This article is general information only. It does not replace advice from your dentist about your child.
This article is general information only and is not a substitute for advice about your own situation. Please speak with a dentist about your needs.
Common questions
What is a fissure sealant?
A fissure sealant is a thin layer of dental filling material placed over the grooves on a tooth. The Australian Dental Association and healthdirect explain that it reduces how much food and bacteria stick in deep pits and fissures, which can lower the chance of decay starting there. Sealants are usually white or clear and may include fluoride. At AMK Dental Clinic in Mortlake, your dentist checks each tooth before advising. This page is general information only.
Does every child need sealants on their molars?
No. Healthdirect and the Australian Dental Association both state that not every child needs fissure sealants. They are most often considered for back adult molars from about 6 years and in teenagers, usually soon after those teeth appear, and more so when grooves are deep. A dentist looks at the tooth and discusses whether a sealant suits your child. Sealants can wear with chewing and need checking at later visits.
Do sealants replace brushing and fluoride?
No. Sealants cover grooves that are hard to brush, but they do not cover every surface and they do not prevent every kind of decay. Daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between teeth that touch, and fewer sugary snacks and drinks still matter. Healthdirect also notes fluoride varnish as another option some dental professionals discuss. Ask the team at AMK Dental Clinic what fits your child's mouth.
What is a sealant visit usually like?
Your dental professional cleans and dries the tooth, prepares the surface, paints on liquid sealant, and often uses a light to harden it, then checks the bite. Healthdirect notes that local anaesthetic is usually not needed. A dentist, dental hygienist or oral health therapist may place a sealant. Chewing can wear the coating over time, so it is reviewed at later check-ups. Results and wear vary between children.
Can the CDBS help with sealants?
Eligible children may be able to use the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) for some basic dental services, which can include fissure sealing. This page does not list dollar amounts, caps or bulk-billing promises. Eligibility and remaining balance must be checked for each child. Read our CDBS FAQ for Mortlake families, or ask AMK Dental Clinic when you book. We explain costs before treatment.
