A raincoat for your molars.

Back teeth have deep grooves that a toothbrush cannot reach the bottom of. A sealant is a thin, clear coating painted into those grooves so food and bacteria have nowhere to settle. A few painless minutes, years of protection.

Book a checkup How it works

Minutes
per tooth, at the end of a cleaning: 0
drilling, needles or numbing: Years
of protection, checked at every visit

Why back teeth get cavities

The brush cannot get where the cavity starts.

Run your tongue over a back tooth and you will feel the ridges. Between them are grooves narrower than a single toothbrush bristle. Sugar and bacteria settle in, brushing skims over the top, and that is where most cavities on back teeth begin.

A sealant fills those grooves with a smooth, clear coating. The surface becomes easy to clean, and the tooth underneath stays untouched. It is the least invasive thing we do, and one of the most effective.

Clear or tooth-coloredNo tooth structure removedPainted on, set with a lightChecked at every cleaning

Close-up of molar grooves protected by a dental sealant

How it works

Four steps. Zero drilling.

Usually done by Frank at the end of a cleaning, one tooth at a time. Nothing to prepare for and nothing to recover from.

1 Clean and dry The tooth is polished and dried so the sealant bonds well.

2 A little gel A conditioning gel sits on the grooves for a few seconds, then is rinsed off.

3 Paint it on The liquid sealant is brushed into the grooves and flows to the bottom.

4 Set with light A blue light hardens it in seconds. You can eat right away.

Who it is for

Not just for kids.

Sealants are a habit from childhood dentistry, but the grooves do not go away when you turn eighteen. If a back tooth is healthy and deeply grooved, it is a candidate.

Teens and studentsAdult molars come in around age 12, and the years that follow are when they are most likely to get cavities. Sealing them early is the best-timed prevention there is.

Adults with deep groovesSome people simply have deeper pits in their back teeth. If Frank can see floss catch or a groove that stains, a sealant makes it cleanable.

Anyone who keeps getting cavitiesDry mouth, a sweet tooth, braces, a stressful year. If cavities keep showing up on back teeth, sealants close off the place they start.

Patients who want less dentistryA sealant is the smallest intervention we offer. It is there to prevent the filling, the crown and the appointment you would rather not have.

Sealants go on healthy teeth. A tooth that already has a filling or decay in the groove needs a filling instead, and we will tell you which is which at your exam.

From our patients

Quick and preventive

Sealant questions, answered.

No. Sealants are most common for teens as molars come in, but any adult with deep grooves in their back teeth and no fillings there can benefit, especially if they tend to get cavities.

No. There is no drilling and no numbing. The tooth is cleaned, a gel is applied and rinsed, the sealant is painted on and set with a light. Most people feel nothing at all.

Several years with normal wear. We check them at every cleaning and can touch up or reapply a sealant if it has worn or chipped.

Yes. The sealant hardens fully under the light, so there is no waiting.

Many plans cover sealants for patients under a certain age, and some cover them for adults. We check your benefits before your visit and tell you the cost up front.

Book a dental appointment at mend dental Irvine

Ask about sealants at your next cleaning.

If your back teeth have deep grooves, sealing them takes a few minutes at the end of your visit. No numbing, no drilling.

Book Appointment