Teeth naturally develop with grooves (known as fissures) on the surfaces of some of your teeth. Fissures are extremely variable - almost like a fingerprint on your teeth! For some people, fissures can be very deep or narrow which can cause food and plaque to become trapped. Deep fissures can be extremely hard to clean when brushing your teeth and could lead to cavities at these spots.

Rather than waiting for a cavity to form, your dentist can clean out the fissure and place a protective coating (or a fissure sealant) over the grooves of your teeth and prevent food and plaque becoming trapped at these sites. Research has shown that placing a sealant at these spots means the tooth is seven times less likely to develop a cavity which requires a filling!