Fissure sealants are protective coatings designed to reduce the risk of caries (decay) in the fissures (crack like patterns) on the chewing surface of the teeth. Sometimes these fissures are vulnerable to being invaded by bacteria, particularly when the teeth are worn or are not properly maintained or subjected to a high sugar or high acid diet.

An oral examination with a dental mirror, intraoral camera or caries detector device, or a dental X-ray will usually show up ‘suspect’ or ‘at risk’ fissures which may benefit from a fissure sealant and further regular monitoring during your subsequent dental appointments.

If you play sport, and a lot of Aussies do, you’ll know how much fun it is to get out on the field.  What isn’t so much fun is sustaining a serious dental injury while you’re out there, especially one that could have been prevented by the simple act of wearing a protective mouthguard.

Mouthguards can protect you from some pretty horrific sporting injuries, including broken jaws, fractured, cracked or knocked-out teeth, nerve damage, cut lips, and the lifetime of dental treatment that can follow in their wake.

And you don’t just have to be playing obvious contact sports like rugby union, rugby league, AFL, hockey and boxing to sustain those kinds of injuries.  Even non-contact sports like cricket, basketball, netball, touch football, skateboarding and soccer, carry a real risk of accidental collision, and resulting dental trauma.

Wearing a custom-fitted mouthguard works by absorbing and spreading the impact of the damaging blow to your face.  A mouthguard custom-fitted by your dentist is better than an over-the-counter one because it’s specially designed to fit the exact contours of your mouth, based on an impression your dentist makes of your teeth.

To keep your mouthguard in tip-top working order, you’ll need to keep it out of the sun, wash it in cold water after use, and get your dentist to make sure it’s still OK when you go in for your regular check-ups.

For tips on dealing with dental trauma, visit  Dental Trauma and First Aid.

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