**Dental Sealants

Question 1

What areas of the teeth are to be sealed with sealants?

Answer 1

the pits and fissures or other “cavity-prone” areas

Question 2

List some tooth surfaces that are considered “cavity-prone” and would be a candidate for sealants?

Answer 2

-posterior occlusal surfaces
-buccal pits of mandibular molars
-lingual grooves of maxillary molars and incisors

Question 3

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), when is the recommended time for children to have sealant treatment?

Answer 3

as soon as the first permanent molars have erupted and the occlusal surface is visible

Question 4

List some contraindications for sealants.

Answer 4

-decay is present
-tooth has an open restoration
-tooth has well-joined pits and fissures
-uncooperative patients

Question 5

Can a tooth with incipient decay be sealed; and why or why not?

Answer 5

yes, if it is small, because any remaining bacteria will no longer cause decay and will not continue to grow because bacteria cannot survive under a properly placed sealant

Question 6

Can bacteria survive under a properly placed sealant?

Answer 6

No

Question 7

What are the components of most sealant material?

Answer 7

a liquid resin monomer and BIS-GMA base

Question 8

Sealant material is similar to what other restorative material in composition?

Answer 8

Composite resin

Question 9

Are sealants typically “filled” or “unfilled” resins?

Answer 9

unfilled

Question 10

True or False: Sealant material can be ground down mechanically bruxism after the patient has been dismissed.

Answer 10

True

Question 11

What type of polymerization allows for a longer working time for the operator?
-chemical polymerization
-photopolymerization

Answer 11

photopolymerization

Question 12

What is a benefit of a color-changing sealant material?

Answer 12

the material can change color during the polymerization process so that the operator can see exactly where the material has been successfully applied

Question 13

Define: slurry

Answer 13

a mixture of pumice and water used to clean the tooth surface prior to sealant placement

Question 14

How will the tooth appear after successful etching techniques have been performed?

Answer 14

dull and chalky white

Question 15

What is of upmost importance for long-term success rates of sealants?

Answer 15

proper isolation

Question 16

Define: enameloplasty

Answer 16

the method of using a fissurotomy bur to open the pits and fissures of tooth structure for better retention of the sealant material

Question 17

When is enameloplasty beneficial?

Answer 17

-when a fissure has a narrow slit opening with a large base
-when a fissure has a narrow, short opening with a broad base

Question 18

True or False: Sealants are only beneficial on primary dentition.

Answer 18

False

Question 19

What does it mean that a sealant differs from composite resin material because it is unfilled?

Answer 19

sealants do not contain the filler particles that composites resin use to enhance the strength of the material

Question 20

What type of sealant material does require occlusal adjustments before dismissal of the patient?

Answer 20

filled

Question 21

What is an alternative to resin-based sealant materials?

Answer 21

glass ionomer

Question 22

True or False: When using a color-changing sealant material, the change in color confirms a complete polymerization has occurred.

Answer 22

False

Question 23

What percentage of phosphoric acid has been shown to provide the best result in enamel conditioning prior to sealant placement?

Answer 23

37-50%

Question 24

True or False: Sealant material cannot flow into the enamel pores created by etching if they are filled with water.

Answer 24

True

Question 25

True or False: After etching and drying, if the tooth surface becomes wet, the operator can rinse and dry the tooth surface again with water without re-etching in order to clean the area for sealant placement.

Answer 25

False

Question 26

True or False: Opaque sealant materials have a shorter polymerization time than other types of sealant materials.

Answer 26

False

Question 27

What is the ideal patient position for sealant placement, and why?

Answer 27

the patient is in a supine position with the head extended back and the chin up, which improves visibility and saliva pools towards the back of the throat/away from the tooth surface being worked on

Question 28

True or False: Sealant material should not cover the marginal ridges of the tooth being sealed.

Answer 28

True

Question 29

What is the typical time frame for a sealant to fail?

Answer 29

withing the first 6-12 months of initial placement

Question 30

When possible, why should the dentist delay sealant placement on teeth that have not fully erupted?

Answer 30

if the operculum is covering the tooth structure, it can cause the gingival fluid to contaminate the tooth during placement