Published September 2026
- The chewing surface of a back tooth has deep grooves that trap food
- The tooth is cleaned and dried. Nothing is drilled and no numbing is needed
- A liquid sealant is brushed into the grooves
- A blue light sets it hard in seconds
- The grooves are sealed smooth and easier to keep clean
Who usually does it
hygienist. Done in general and pediatric offices, mostly on children's molars.
One question worth asking
Which teeth are being sealed today, and how long do these usually last?
Resin treatment for an early white spot
D2990. A liquid resin soaked into an early weak spot on a smooth surface to harden it; not a filling and rarely covered.
A sealant is a thin protective coating brushed into the grooves of a back tooth so food and bacteria cannot settle there. It is painless and takes a few minutes per tooth. Related codes cover repairing a sealant and a very small filling done with a sealant.
The tooth is cleaned and dried, the coating is flowed into the deep grooves on the chewing surface, and a light hardens it. Nothing is drilled and no numbing is used. Sealants are counted per tooth, and separate codes cover repairing one that has chipped and a very small filling placed with sealant material. Most plans file this as Preventive. What they actually pay varies by plan.
Codes for this
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