Precautions for children to do dental pit and fissure sealing

Many people have not heard of children's pit and fissure sealing, which is an effective anti-caries treatment technology for children who are in the period of tooth development. Specifically, it uses a polymer composite resin material and applies this material to the pits and fissures of children's teeth. This will form a protective film that resists bacteria. It is better in preventing bacterial erosion and can effectively resist the harm of bacteria.

Precautions

(1) Cleaning the tooth surface: Install a rubber cup or a small brush on the low-speed handle and dip it in an appropriate amount of abrasive to clean the tooth surface. Be careful not to use cleaning agents containing oil. After cleaning, rinse the tooth surface with a water gun and drain saliva.

(2) Etching tooth surface: After cleaning, use a cotton roll to isolate the tooth surface from moisture. After blowing the tooth surface dry, use a fine-bristled brush, a small cotton ball or a small sponge to dip the etchant and apply it to the tooth surface to be sealed. The etchant is a gel or liquid containing phosphoric acid. The etched area should be the range that accepts sealing, generally 2/3 of the cusp bevel. The etching time is 30 to 60 seconds. Be careful not to wipe the tooth surface during the etching process. The amount of etchant should be appropriate and should not overflow into the oral soft tissue.

(3) Rinse and dry: After acid etching, rinse the tooth surface thoroughly. This is one of the keys to successful sealing. Usually, rinse under pressure for 10 to 15 seconds to remove the etchant and reaction products on the enamel surface. After rinsing, immediately replace the dry cotton roll to isolate it from moisture, and then blow dry the tooth surface with compressed air for about 15 seconds. You can also use highly volatile solvents such as anhydrous ethanol or ether to assist in drying. Note that the compressed air used must not contain oil or water.

The acid-etched tooth surface will appear white and foggy after drying. If the enamel after acid etching does not have this phenomenon, the acid etching should be repeated. During the operation, ensure that the etched tooth surface is not contaminated by saliva. If saliva contamination occurs, the tooth surface should be rinsed again and etched again. During the operation, care should also be taken not to allow the person being sealed to spit out the cotton roll used to isolate the moisture or rinse his mouth.

(4) Applying sealant: When using a self-curing sealant, take equal amounts of components A and B (containing initiator and accelerator respectively) and mix them evenly before each sealing. Pay attention to the mixing speed to avoid generating bubbles that affect the curing quality. The curing time of self-curing sealant is generally 1 minute to 2 minutes. It is usually stirred for 10 seconds to 15 seconds. It should be applied within 45 seconds after being completely mixed. Because the self-curing sealant enters the initial setting stage, the viscosity increases and the fluidity decreases. Therefore, the timing of mixing and applying must be good and completed before the initial setting stage.

Best age

The main purpose of pit and fissure sealing is to prevent caries (tooth decay), so it is mainly aimed at newly erupted permanent molars in children and adolescents. The sixth-year molars are the teeth that are most responsible for chewing. Because they erupt early, they are prone to caries (cavities) if not properly protected. Therefore, they become the main targets for pit and fissure sealing. Usually the sixth molars fully erupt at 7-8 years old, which is the best age for closure.