Resin fissure sealant
The standard clear or lightly tinted resin. Wears well, bonds strongly to dry enamel and lasts several years.
£65 per tooth
General dentistry · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Dental sealants in Marylebone: sealing the grooves of back teeth before decay starts
The chewing surface of a molar is not flat. It is a landscape of ridges and deep, narrow fissures, some of them narrower than a single toothbrush bristle, where food packs in and bacteria live undisturbed. That is why the biting surfaces of first and second adult molars are where most childhood cavities begin. A fissure sealant is a thin flowable resin painted into those grooves and hardened with a light, turning a rough surface that traps plaque into a smooth one that sheds it. No drilling, no anaesthetic, a few minutes per tooth. At Wimpole Street sealants will be £65 per tooth, and they make most sense in the year or two after each set of adult molars erupts, at around six and around twelve, though a decay-prone adult with unfilled molars can benefit as well.
- £65 per tooth
- No drilling or anaesthetic
- A few minutes per tooth
Suitability
Is it right for you?
A good fit when
- Children whose first adult molars have just come through, typically between six and seven.
- Twelve-year-olds as the second molars erupt, which are harder to reach with a brush.
- Molars and premolars with deep, sticky fissures that catch a probe on examination.
- Children with a history of decay in baby teeth, who are at higher risk in the adult set.
- Adults with unfilled, decay-free molars and a high decay rate elsewhere in the mouth.
- Teeth with early enamel-only decay in a groove, where a sealant can arrest it without a filling.
Think twice, or choose another route, when
- Teeth that already have a filling on the chewing surface; there is nothing left to seal.
- Cavities that have reached the dentine, which need a filling rather than a coating over the top.
- Molars that have only partly erupted and cannot be kept dry during placement; these are sealed later.
- Shallow, well-coalesced fissures that a brush cleans easily, where the benefit is marginal.
- A child who cannot yet tolerate the tooth being isolated and dried for a couple of minutes.
The process
How it works at Wimpole Street
- 01
Checking the tooth
The fissures are examined, sometimes with a small radiograph, to confirm there is no decay beneath the surface that would be hidden by a sealant.
- 02
Cleaning
The chewing surface is cleaned with a brush or a gentle air-polishing jet so no plaque remains in the grooves.
- 03
Etching and drying
A mild gel roughens the enamel microscopically for a few seconds, is rinsed off, and the tooth is dried and kept dry with cotton rolls. Moisture is the enemy of a sealant, so this stage is done carefully.
- 04
Applying the resin
The liquid sealant is flowed into the fissures with a fine tip, allowed to sink in, and set hard with a blue light in about twenty seconds.
- 05
Checking the bite
The surface is checked so the sealant does not sit high, and any excess is smoothed. The tooth can be used immediately.
Choices
Options & materials
Glass ionomer sealant
A fluoride-releasing material used for partly erupted teeth that cannot be kept fully dry. Less durable, replaced with resin once the tooth is through.
£65 per tooth
Sealant with fluoride varnish
For higher-risk children, a fluoride varnish on the remaining teeth at the same visit.
£65 per tooth plus £40 varnish
Fees
What it costs
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
Fissure sealant Resin or glass ionomer; no anaesthetic. | £65 per tooth |
Sealant repair or re-application Where a sealant has chipped or worn through. | £65 per tooth |
Fluoride varnish Often combined for high-risk children. | £40 |
Children’s examination Sealants are usually recommended from the examination. | £47.50 |
Indicative Wimpole Street fees, the same as at South Kensington and St Paul's. A written plan with the exact figure is agreed before anything is started.
Outcomes
What the result looks like
A sealed molar has a smooth, slightly glossy chewing surface that plaque struggles to cling to and a brush cleans easily. Research over decades shows that sealed teeth develop markedly fewer cavities on the chewing surface than unsealed ones, with the benefit greatest in children at higher risk and in the first few years after eruption when the enamel is still maturing.
Sealants wear and chip over time, and a partly lost sealant offers less protection than an intact one, so they are checked at every examination and topped up when needed. They protect the biting surface only; the sides of the teeth and the contact points between them still depend on brushing, interdental cleaning and fluoride.
Afterwards
Looking after the result
- Eating and drinking can resume straight away; there is no setting time once the light has cured the resin.
- Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste as normal; sealants are an addition to cleaning, not a substitute.
- Avoid chewing ice or very hard sweets, which can chip the sealant edge.
- Attend routine examinations so the sealants can be checked and re-applied if worn.
Informed consent
Risks and honest limitations
Every treatment has trade-offs. These are the ones we discuss at the consultation so that a decision is made with full information rather than after the fact.
- Loss or partial loss of the sealant, most often when the tooth was not fully dry during placement. It is simply re-applied.
- Decay beneath a sealant if a cavity was missed before sealing, which is why the tooth is examined and sometimes X-rayed first.
- A sealant that sits slightly high can feel odd for a day or two until it is adjusted or wears in.
- Sealants offer no protection to surfaces they do not cover.
- The materials contain resin monomers; the quantities are tiny and the safety record over decades is good, but we mention it for completeness.
FAQ
Questions patients ask
Soon after each set of adult molars erupts: around six for the first molars and around twelve for the second. The fissures are most vulnerable in the first couple of years.
No. Nothing is drilled and no injection is needed. The tooth is cleaned, dried, painted and set with a light. Most children find the cotton rolls the strangest part.
Several years with normal wear, often longer. They are checked at each examination and re-applied at £65 per tooth if they chip or wear through.
For an adult with deep fissures, unfilled molars and a tendency to decay, yes. For someone with shallow grooves and a good record, the benefit is small.
If the decay is confined to the enamel and has not cavitated, sealing it cuts off the bacteria from food and can stop it progressing. Decay that has reached dentine needs a filling.
Yes. Sealants are available now at South Kensington and St Paul’s at the same fee, with future checks in Marylebone from 1 October 2026.
Keep reading
Related treatments and guides
Marylebone, W1
Dental sealants at Wimpole Street from 1 October 2026
Register your interest and we will contact you as soon as the Marylebone diary is live. If you would rather start sooner, the same clinicians already see patients in South Kensington and at St Paul’s.
Opening 1 October 2026
Wimpole Street is not yet seeing patients. Until then, please book or call our South Kensington clinic on 020 7183 2362 or our St Paul's clinic on 020 7183 3709. Questions about the new clinic: wimpolestreet@md.co.uk.
Until we open
Need an appointment before 1 October 2026?
The same clinical team already works from two other Medical & Dental clinics. Book at either one now and, if you prefer, move your ongoing care to Wimpole Street once the doors open.
South Kensington
- 20 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DL
- Open seven days a week
- 020 7183 2362
St Paul's, City of London
- 5 Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7AQ
- Open Monday to Friday
- 020 7183 3709
