Clinical Effectiveness of Prevocare Sealant in Field Conditions: 36-months follow-up

Objective: This randomized controlled clinical trial aims to assess the effectiveness of a clear local–made sealant by comparing its retention with a standard imported sealant under field conditions at 36 months. Methods: The sample included 138 pairs of contralateral lower first permanent molars of children from grade 1-3 in Bangkok Metropolitan area who met the eligible criteria. Prevocare (Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand) and Delton (Dentsply International, USA) were randomly placed on each molar by one dentist using a mobile dental unit and equipments at the schools. The sealed teeth were examined for their retention and caries formation every 6 months by a different examiner. Using a confidence interval approach, the two groups were considered equivalent if the difference in retention rates was not more than 10%. Results: 97 pairs of teeth (70.3%) remained at the end of the study. The mean retention rates at 36 months of Delton and Prevocare were 52.6% (95% CI: 42.2, 62.8) and 53.6% (95% CI: 43.2, 63.8%), respectively. The mean difference in retention rates between the two groups was 1.0 (95% CI: -7.3, 9.3). Conclusion: The local-made sealant, Prevocare (clear), is clinically equivalent to the standard imported sealant, Delton, at the period of 36 months. This study was supported by Faculty of Dentistry Research Fund, Chulalongkorn University.