When should children receive pit and fissure sealants?
Aug 26, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Liu Chao
Introduction
Under normal circumstances, children can receive pit and fissure sealing at the age of 6 to 7 years. After the procedure, it is important to avoid letting the child chew excessively hard foods, such as nuts or bones, with the sealed teeth for 24 hours post-treatment, to prevent dislodgement of the sealing material. Additionally, it is important to supervise the child's daily oral hygiene, ensuring they brush their teeth at least twice daily for no less than three minutes each time.
Generally, children can receive pit and fissure sealing at the age of 6-7 years. Detailed analysis is as follows:
At age 6, if a child's first permanent molar has fully erupted, the pits and fissures on the tooth surface are deep and difficult to clean, and the child has poor awareness of daily oral hygiene maintenance, making it prone to food debris accumulation, pit and fissure sealing can be performed. The first permanent molar is the earliest erupting molar among permanent teeth. If not properly protected after eruption, it is susceptible to bacterial attack and caries development. At age 6, the tooth has recently erupted, the enamel has not fully matured yet, and sealing can provide better protection against external damage.
At age 7, if the first permanent molar did not fully erupt at age 6, but after a year of growth, fully emerges into the mouth at age 7, with stable tooth position and clear pit and fissure morphology, and no caries or other dental lesions have developed, it is appropriate to perform pit and fissure sealing. In some children, tooth eruption progresses slowly, and at age 6, the first permanent molar may still be partially covered by the gums, making complete sealing impossible. Once the tooth fully erupts by age 7, the sealing material can adhere more closely to the tooth surface, providing more effective protection.
After pit and fissure sealing, care should be taken to avoid allowing the child to chew hard foods (e.g., nuts, bones) with the sealed teeth for the first 24 hours to prevent the sealant from dislodging. Daily oral hygiene should also be supervised, ensuring the child brushes teeth at least 3 minutes each time, both morning and night, with special attention to cleaning the tooth surfaces between teeth and the area surrounding the sealed pits and fissures.
