6-Month Clinical Evaluation Of Fissure Sealant Placed With Different Adhesives

Objectives: Application of fissure sealants is a proven method in caries prevention. However their perfect adhesion to enamel surfaces and long term retentions are essential for their success. The aim of this study was to evaluate the retention rates of a nanofilled occlusal fissure sealant used either with an etch-and-rinse adhesive or with a self-etch adhesive. Methods: 244 sealants were placed on permanent premolars and molars of 16 patients aged between 18 and 20 years. Sealants were placed with the use of either Solo Bond (one-step etch-and-rinse adhesive) or Futura Bond NR (one-step self-etch adhesive) by four previously calibrated dentists using a table of random numbers. Adhesives were used according to the manufacturer's instructions. A nanofilled sealant, Grandio Seal was used as a fissure sealant. The clinical evaluations were performed at 1,3 and 6 months after the sealant application by two independent calibrated examiners unaware of the sealant's group identity. Retention of sealants was assessed as either completely retained, partial loss or total loss. Chi-Square test was used to evaluate differences in the retention rates among the sealants used with different adhesives each evaluation period. Results: Total retention rates of 97,5%, 92,6% and 91% for Solo Bond and 61,5%, 37,7% and 30,3% for Futura Bond NR, were observed at 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. The differences between the sealants placed with the use of different adhesives were statistically significant for each evaluation period (p<0.05). Sealants placed with an etch-and-rinse adhesive Solo Bond presented a higher retention rate at 1-, 3-, and 6- months evaluation. There was no new caries formation during the evaluation period. Conclusion: The use of an etch-and-rinse adhesive prior to the placement of sealant yielded optimal retention.