When should sealing be done?

　　Permanent teeth erupt at different times so it will require several visits to get all of them sealed. It is important to have the tooth sealed shortly after if erupts. The first teeth that should be sealed are the 6-year molars. The next teeth to be sealed are the 12-year molars and then finally the premolars, which erupt around the age of 13. The greatest chance of decay occurs during the first year after the teeth erupt, but it’s never too late to apply sealants, as long as the teeth are free of decay and fillings.南京市妇幼保健院口腔正畸中心吴华英

　　窝沟封闭治疗需要在什么时候做？

　　由于恒牙萌出的时间不同，所以需要分几次才能完成。重点是磨牙萌出后尽早进行窝沟封闭。六龄齿是第一颗需要封闭的牙齿，然后是第二磨牙（大约在12岁时萌出），最后是双尖牙（大约在13岁左右萌出）。恒牙萌出后第一年是最易患龋的。只要在牙齿还没有龋坏的情况下，窝沟封闭治疗都是必要的。

　　Are sealants easy to apply?

　　Sealants are very easy to apply with no pain and therefore no need for numbing. The treatment is done in two steps:

　　1．          The teeth need to be cleaned and dried.

　　It is important to remove all bacteria and food debris before the sealant is applied or it will not stick. After the tooth is cleaned, an etching agent is applied to the tooth to prepare it for the sealant. The tooth is then dried and cotton rolls are placed around the teeth to keep moisture out.

　　2．          The sealant is then applied to the teeth and hardened.

　　The sealant is a liquid that is simply painted onto the chewing surface of each tooth making sure to dill in all the grooves. A special blue light is used to harden the sealant, forming a hard plastic covering over the grooves.

　　窝沟封闭治疗操作容易吗？

　　窝沟封闭治疗操作简单、无痛、无需麻醉。

　　操作分为两步完成：

　　1、清洁并保持牙齿干燥。

　　在操作前，要清除牙齿表面所有的细菌和食物残渣，否则窝沟封闭剂就很容易脱落。清洁牙齿后，经过酸蚀处理，然后放棉卷在牙齿周围，以确保牙齿干燥。

　　2、涂窝沟封闭剂于牙齿表面并固化。

　　封闭剂是一种液态的流动树脂，以放置于牙齿咬合面，并且能充分填充于牙齿窝沟内。特殊的光固化灯可以将窝沟封闭剂很好的固化在牙齿窝沟中，形成一层保护膜。