Fissure sealant at the natural tooth using sub-micron TCP

Objectives: Different sealing materials that demonstrate an affinity for the tooth substance and attainability to a deep pit and fissure have been developed. This is an investigation on the effectiveness of sub-micron TCP as a sealing material. The effectiveness of sub-micron TCP was determined using a pit and fissure model and a freshly extracted third molar. Methods: Tertiary calcium phosphate (TCP) was synthesized with a mechano-chemical technique. The synthesized TCP was milled to make sub-micronized TCP. Water was placed into the pit and fissure in preparation for sealing with TCP using the two techniques of the oscillation method and the reduced pressure method. TCP was packed into the pit and fissure and joined with the crystalline HAp through a hygroscopic and hydrolytic reaction. Results: The synthesized TCP had a granule size of 0.5mm. The TCP was used to sealing the pit and fissure model. Dense sealing of the model pit and fissure was achieved with the TCP. Hygroscopicity and hydrolysis resulted in increased bonding of TCP with HAp in the pit and fissure. Hygroscopic and hydrolytic reactions of TCP facilitated the crystallization of the sealing material. Conclusion: The cubic content of the minute pit-cleft was filled with packing material. A strong bonding power was demonstrated between crystals of the packing TCP material and the pit-cleft. Additionally the affinity of the TCP packing material and the inner wall of the pit-cleft seemed improved. These findings suggested that the ability to prevent loss of the TCP packing material from the pit-cleft was improved. The packing condition of a pit-cleft in a natural tooth was three-dimensionally analyzed using mCT. If an impurity was present inside the pit-cleft the TCP could not penetrate into this region. However, if the impurity had an open space the TCP could penetrate and pack into this recess.