Do traditional sealants have a place in the new, super-magnified world?

Clark D. Dent Today. 2004 Sep;23(9):92, 94-9. Clark D. Newport Coast Facial Institution. drclark@microscopedentistry.com

The original concept of dental sealants is truly intoxicating... that an entry-level auxiliary could prevent occlusal caries by painting over the grooves of the teeth, thereby freeing up the doctor for more difficult tasks... all with a tidy profit. The realities of high-level magnification and research are sobering the "sealant euphoria." Today, we now understand that prevention of occlusal caries is significantly more complex and technically challenging than originally thought. Changing the process from a lower-skill, auxiliary-driven procedure to a highskill, microscope-centered procedure will require a shift in scheduling and value systems. Earlier in the article I mentioned my nephew with the catastrophic sealant failures. Today he drives 4 hours to the airport and then flies another 2 hours so that he can receive a microscope-centered level of care (and pays in full). Microscope-enhanced dentistry is much more than simply making tiny little holes in teeth. It is a commitment to dentistry where vision is uncompromised, and today that level can best be attained with an operating microscope.