Comparative Surface Roughness and Volume Loss of Resin-Based Sealants Post-toothbrushing

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the surface roughness and volume loss of unfilled and filled resin-based sealants.
Methods: Five dental sealants were used in this study: Helioseal clear (HC), Delton clear (DC), LAS-clear (LC), Clinpro (C), and Helioseal opaque (HO). Based on ISO/TR 14569-1, each dental sealant (n=30) was placed in a customized stainless steel mold (5x2x3 mm³). The dental sealants were cured using activating-light exposures for 20 seconds following the manufacturer’s instruction. The specimen was light-cured on the opposite side of the mold in the same manner. Then samples were conditioned in deionized water for 7 days at 37°C. The samples were subjected to a linear vertical brushing movement equivalent to one year of toothbrushing. The surface roughness and volume loss were evaluated using a contact profilometer (Talyscan 150, Taylor Hobson) before and after brushing. Data were treated using one-way ANOVA and statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 22.
Results: The study revealed that toothbrushing causes different surface roughness and volume loss among the materials. The mean and SD (+-) values for surface roughness of HC, DC, LC, C, and HO were 0.0362+-0.0056, 0.0306+-0.0071, 0.0290+-0.0070, 0.0201+-0.0019, and 0.0274+-0.0055 respectively. Whereas for volume loss of HC, DC, LC, C, and HO were 0.0310+-0.0203, 0.0238+-0.0241, 0.0430+-0.0719, 0.0212+-0.0199, and 0.0356+-0.0481, respectively. There was a significant difference in the surface roughness of HC and C (p<0.05). Whereas, no significant difference was found in volume loss among the groups after toothbrushing (p>0.05).
Conclusions: After one year worth of toothbrushing the roughness of the surface and amount of wear varies among sealant types.