Tooth decay is easiest to prevent rather than treat. Two procedures do this most simply and painlessly: fissure sealing and fluoride treatment. The first closes the natural grooves on back teeth where food gets stuck, the second strengthens enamel. Both are done in one visit, with no drilling and no anaesthesia. At UKRMED, prevention for children is carried out in the paediatric dentistry department, and fluoride treatment is also available for adults.
Decay prevention for your child
The dentist will check the teeth, assess decay risk and advise which procedures are needed.
Photo: Dr. Henning Storbeck, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Fissures are grooves and pits on the chewing surface of back teeth. They can be so narrow that toothbrush bristles cannot reach inside. Food and bacteria stay deep in the grooves, and decay in children most often starts here. Newly erupted teeth are especially vulnerable because their enamel is not yet mature.
A sealant is a liquid material that fills the grooves and hardens under a curing light. The surface becomes smooth, leaving bacteria nowhere to hide. A dental sealant for kids is one of the simplest ways to protect new molars (large back teeth).
A Cochrane review (a systematic review by the international Cochrane organisation, which assesses how well treatments work) found that resin-based sealants reduce decay on the chewing surfaces of permanent molars in children and teenagers compared with unsealed teeth. Protection lasts for years, but sealants should be checked at visits and topped up when needed.
Baby teeth can also be sealed if the fissures are deep and the child is prone to decay. The dentist decides after an examination.
It takes a few minutes per tooth and needs no anaesthesia, so children usually find it easy.
Fluoride treatment means applying a fluoride product to the enamel. Fluoride becomes part of the enamel, makes it more resistant to acid and helps reverse the earliest signs of decay, white chalky spots.
According to a Cochrane review, fluoride varnish (a fluoride lacquer painted onto the teeth) reduces decay in children and teenagers by about 43% in permanent teeth and 37% in baby teeth.
Fluoride treatment helps children at high risk of decay, teenagers with braces, adults with sensitive teeth and exposed tooth necks (the part of the tooth near the gum not covered by enamel), and patients after teeth whitening, when enamel is temporarily more sensitive. At UKRMED it costs UAH 600 per tooth. Remineralisation therapy (applying calcium, phosphate and fluoride products that return minerals to the enamel) is available for more intensive enamel strengthening.
Neither sealants nor fluoride replace daily brushing. A professional cleaning is done first so the material bonds to a clean surface. At home:
If deep decay is found, prevention will not help: the tooth needs treatment and a filling.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Paediatric dentist consultation | UAH 500 |
| Fissure sealing | UAH 1,300 |
| Professional cleaning (baby/mixed teeth) | UAH 1,400 |
| Fluoride treatment (1 tooth) | UAH 600 |
| Remineralisation therapy | UAH 700 |
Fluoride treatment in Kyiv
8 Buzka St, Kyiv. Mon-Sat 9:00-20:00. Book a prevention visit by phone +38 (073) 743-77-17.
Modern sealants have been used in children's dentistry for decades and are considered safe. The material is applied in a very thin layer only to the fissures.
For years, but it can partly wear away. That is why the sealant is checked at every visit and topped up when needed.
No. Sealant is applied only to healthy enamel. If a fissure already has decay, it is treated first.
It depends on decay risk. Usually it is repeated several times a year; the dentist sets the schedule.
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