Dental caries: Do teeth sealants prevent tooth decay in children and young people?
The application of sealants to the molars or back teeth can result in a major reduction in the risk of tooth decay or cavities. Back teeth with deep dents or grooves are particularly at risk of developing cavities. Bacteria that cause tooth decay can lodge inside these dents or grooves (fissures). Dentists can apply fissure sealants. This is an artificial material, usually made of resin (plastic), that covers the fissures. Getting sealants is a painless procedure. You can read more about it in our Fact Sheet. To assess the possible benefits of fissure sealants, researchers from the Cochrane Collaboration systematically reviewed the results of trials. The researchers found eight trials that tested modern forms of teeth sealants. The trials included children between five and 13 years of age. In this age group, children usually already have eight or 12 permanent molars. The researchers in the trials tested for protection from caries usually by applying teeth sealants to the molars of one
