This book provides wide-ranging information on current clinical and scientific knowledge on the various aspects of fissure sealing. Trends in the epidemiology of caries are first examined, followed by thorough description of the morphology of pits and fissures and types of sealant. The role of sealants in the prevention of caries is discussed. Diagnostic parameters are presented, along with step-by-step descriptions of clinical procedures for fissure sealing. Chapters are also included on alternative techniques of fissure sealing, sealing of carious fissures, and therapeutic fissure sealing. The final chapter in the book focuses on the cost effectiveness of the procedure. Tooth surfaces with pits and fissures are particularly vulnerable to caries development. Sealants were developed to help manage these sites of the tooth and safeguard the surfaces from decay. This book has been written by acknowledged experts in the field. It will be of value for all dental professionals seeking to deepen their understanding of current knowledge on the science and the clinical application of pit and fissure sealants.

Katrin Bekes, DMD, PhD (Dr. med. dent. habil.), MME, is Professor and Chair of the Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. Dr. Bekes graduated from Dental School at Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany in 2002. She submitted her DMD thesis (Dr. med. dent.) the following year and later gained her PhD in Dental Medicine (2012). She completed a Master of Medical Education at the University of Heidelberg in 2016. After graduating, Dr. Bekes was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology at Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany and prior to taking up her present position she was an Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at that university. Dr. Bekes has been General Secretary of the German Association of Paediatric Dentistry since 2008 and is also a board member of the Foundation of Innovative Dentistry (Germany). She has authored or co-authored almost 80 peer-reviewed publications (including those published online) and is an editorial board member for the journals Clinical Oral Investigations and Oralprophylaxe & Kinderzahnheilkunde.