IADR Abstract Archives
Evaluation of Efficacy of Fissure Sealants in a Novel Dental Caries Model That Reduces Animal Sacrifice
Objectives: A common caries-preventive modality used worldwide is pit and fissure sealants. Pit and fissure sealant materials block bacterial entry into fissures, preventing diffusion of acids into the fissures’ depth, therefor inhibiting demineralization process. Pit and fissure sealants, from two categories: resin-based sealants and glass ionomer sealants, are widely used. Studies have proven its’ advantage in different caries models mostly by clinical trials or in-situ models.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of two commercially used fissure-sealant materials, one of each category, as a caries-preventive model. A novel in-vitro caries model was used.
Methods: Twenty hemi-maxillae were extracted from previously euthanized healthy 10-weeks old BALB/C female mice. In ten hemi-maxillae molars’ occlusal surfaces were coated with commercially used fissure sealants: resin-based flowable composite (n=5) or glass-ionomer (n=5). Ten hemi-maxillae served as negative (n=5 ) and and positive (n=5) control (i.e. without bacterial-infection and bacterial infected without fissure-sealing, respectively). Jaws were subjected to saliva, high sucrose diet and dental caries bacteria Streptococcus mutans UA159 for 7 days.
Caries lesions were assessed: clinically by photographic analysis, by mCT analysis and bacterial growth was evaluated.
Results: Under in vitro experimental conditions, carious lesions evolved within 7 days, prominently in the depth of the occlusal fissures in the bacterial-infected group as depicted by photographic analysis, mCT analysis and bacterial growth. No caries was detected in all the fissure-sealants groups with no significant differences compared to the negative control.
Conclusions: The present findings failed to find a relative advantage in caries prevention for one sealant material over another, although fissure-sealants efficiency as a caries-preventive method remained distinct. The developed in-vitro caries model presented in this study may be a novel animal sparing model for caries disease studies, and can be used widely to evaluate the efficacy of different antibacterial dental materials.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of two commercially used fissure-sealant materials, one of each category, as a caries-preventive model. A novel in-vitro caries model was used.
Methods: Twenty hemi-maxillae were extracted from previously euthanized healthy 10-weeks old BALB/C female mice. In ten hemi-maxillae molars’ occlusal surfaces were coated with commercially used fissure sealants: resin-based flowable composite (n=5) or glass-ionomer (n=5). Ten hemi-maxillae served as negative (n=5 ) and and positive (n=5) control (i.e. without bacterial-infection and bacterial infected without fissure-sealing, respectively). Jaws were subjected to saliva, high sucrose diet and dental caries bacteria Streptococcus mutans UA159 for 7 days.
Caries lesions were assessed: clinically by photographic analysis, by mCT analysis and bacterial growth was evaluated.
Results: Under in vitro experimental conditions, carious lesions evolved within 7 days, prominently in the depth of the occlusal fissures in the bacterial-infected group as depicted by photographic analysis, mCT analysis and bacterial growth. No caries was detected in all the fissure-sealants groups with no significant differences compared to the negative control.
Conclusions: The present findings failed to find a relative advantage in caries prevention for one sealant material over another, although fissure-sealants efficiency as a caries-preventive method remained distinct. The developed in-vitro caries model presented in this study may be a novel animal sparing model for caries disease studies, and can be used widely to evaluate the efficacy of different antibacterial dental materials.