D1351 — Dental sealant (per tooth)
A sealant is a thin resin coating flowed into the pits and grooves on the biting surface of a back tooth and set hard.
D1351 is the preventive code for dental sealant, per tooth.
What the number specifies, what it costs, what your plan is likely to do with it, and the named differences between it and the codes around it — in that order.
The conditions built into D1351
Counted — per tooth, so the total scales directly with how many teeth are involved.
What sealant involves
A sealant is a thin resin coating flowed into the pits and grooves on the biting surface of a back tooth and set hard. Those grooves are often narrower than a toothbrush bristle and deeper than they look, which makes them impossible to clean and the single most common site for a first cavity in a child. Filling them in removes the shelter the bacteria were using. Placement takes a few minutes per tooth and involves no drilling and no anaesthetic. The surface is cleaned and dried, an etchant is applied to give the resin something to grip, the material is flowed in, and a curing light sets it. The main technical demand is keeping the tooth dry — saliva contamination is the usual reason a sealant fails early.
When this treatment is used
Placed on permanent molars soon after they erupt, typically around ages six and twelve, and on premolars and primary molars where the grooves are deep or the child's decay risk is high. They are also used on adult teeth with deep unsealed grooves, though coverage for that is unusual.
How long they last and what maintenance looks like
A well-placed sealant on a properly dried tooth commonly lasts several years, with partial loss more common than total loss. They should be checked at every recall visit and topped up when worn — a partially lost sealant is worse than none at all if it leaves a covered groove that cannot be inspected. The evidence that sealants reduce decay in the treated grooves is among the strongest in preventive dentistry, which is why public health programmes fund them so widely.
Sealant, or filling?
A sealant is for a groove that is intact. Once decay has broken into the dentine, sealing over it is not appropriate and a restoration is needed. The grey area in between — a groove that is stained and may have the earliest demineralisation — is where the preventive resin restoration (D1352) sits: a minimal preparation to remove the questionable enamel, then sealant material over the rest.
Questions about D1351
At what age should sealants be placed?
Usually as soon as the permanent molars erupt — around age six for the first molars and twelve for the second. Earlier placement on primary molars is common for higher-risk children.
Do sealants hurt?
No. There is no drilling and no injection; the tooth is cleaned, an etchant is applied, and the resin is set with a light.
How long do dental sealants last?
Commonly several years, though partial wear is normal. They should be checked at each recall visit and repaired when they start to break down.
Are sealants covered for adults?
Usually not. Most plans cap the sealant benefit by age and restrict it to permanent molars.
D1351 — what is it?
D1351 is shorthand for dental sealant, per tooth — the same five characters every practice and every insurer in the country uses for it.
What is the typical fee for D1351?
Plan for $40–$110 as the full fee. Two practices a few miles apart can sit at opposite ends of that range for the same work.
Also known as: dental sealant, fissure sealant, pit and fissure sealant, cavity prevention.