Using bonding agent prior to pits and fissure sealant application enhances the microtensile bond strength and the interface morphology

Evaluation of child's behavior during the pit and fissure sealant administration using the rubber dam and MiniDam: A randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Dental caries is a multifactorial disease that manifests itself in primary and permanent dentitions. Pit and fissure sealants have become the most effective noninvasive treatment for addressing teeth with deep pits and fissures in children. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the behavior of the child when administering the pit and fissure sealant using the rubber dam and MiniDam.

METHODOLOGY

Fifty-two children in the age range of 9-12 years were randomly allocated into two groups: Group I, rubber dam and Group II, MiniDam. The children were randomly assigned into two groups with 26 members in Group 1 (rubber dam isolation) and 26 members in Group 2 (MiniDam isolation). Children's anxiety was assessed using the modified Venham scale and heart rate. The children's pain intensity was assessed using Memojis Pain Scale. The data collected were tabulated and statistically analyzed using SPSS software. The level of significance was established at 0.05.

RESULTS

Intergroup comparison of heart rates showed a statistically significant difference for both the groups at various intervals (P value 0.05), that is, before placing the dam, with the dam, and during treatment. Pain and anxiety scores showed a statistically significant difference in both the groups before and after the procedure (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of MiniDam can offer a better option for the pit/fissure sealant procedure due to its unique qualities, including simplicity of placement, improved behavior management, and less chair time in children.

Comparative Assessment of Retention and Caries Protective Effectiveness of a Hydrophilic and a Conventional Sealant-A Clinical Trial

Sealants are highly efficient and the most secure method for the prevention of caries lesions from pits and fissures in recently erupted permanent teeth. The aim of this study is to clinically assess and compare the retention and evolution of caries of a moisture-tolerant resin-based sealant with a conventional hydrophobic resin-based sealant. Material and method: We have included in the study 28 children with between 6 and 8 years old. For each child we sealed 4 permanent molars (a total of 112 teeth). The study group was divided into two subgroups: the Embrace Group—consisting of 56 first permanent molars that underwent dental sealing with moisture-tolerant resin-based fissure sealant (Embrace™ WetBond™ Pulpdent, Watertown, MA, USA) and the Helioseal Group—represented by the same number of 56 first permanent molars that were sealed with conventional hydrophobic resin-based sealant (Helioseal F™, Ivoclar Vivadent Schaan, Liechtenstein). The retention and the incidence of new carious lesions of each sealant were assessed clinically at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Results: The 12-month follow-up assessment showed perfect integrity in 50 molars (89.28%) sealed with moisture-tolerant resin-based material (Embrace Group), and in 51 molars (91.07%) with conventional resin-based sealant (Helioseal Group). At the 24-month recall, the retention was maintained in 44 molars (78.57%) in the Embrace Group and in 45 molars (80.35%) in the Helioseal Group, respectively. The follow-up assessments showed no statistically significant differences (p > 0.5) between the two materials regarding sealant retention. First evidence of new carious lesions was present at 12 months on two molars sealed with Embrace WetBond and on one molar sealed with Helioseal. At the 24-month evaluation, the prevalence of caries in the Embrace Group was 7.14% (four caries) and 3.56% (two caries) in the Helioseal Group. Moreover, there were no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) between the two materials regarding new caries development at any of the follow-up assessments. Conclusions: Moisture-tolerant resin-based sealant was effective in terms of retention and caries prevention.

Microtensile Bond Strength of Bioactive Pit and Fissure Sealants Bonded to Primary and Permanent Teeth

Background: Sealing occlusal pits and fissures is an effective preventive measure against dental caries. Pit and fissure sealants (PFS) should be strongly bonded to the teeth to prevent partial or complete loss of the sealant, which may limit its preventive effect. Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the microtensile bond strength (μTBS) of bioactive resin-based sealants (Bio-RBS) and resin-based sealants (RBS), with and without the use of a bonding agent, to the enamel of primary and permanent teeth. Methods: One hundred and twenty caries-free primary molar specimens and 120 permanent molar specimens were divided to eight groups (30 specimens per group), both primary and permanent teeth were sealed with a Bio-RBS BioCoat^TM (Premier^®, Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA) or with a RBS Clinpro^TM (3M ESPE, Saint Paul, MN, USA), with or without the use of a bonding agent (Prime & Bond NT; Dentsply, Inc., Charlotte, NC, USA). Half the specimens were aged with 5000 thermal cycles, and all specimens were tested for the μTBS and failure mode. Results: The mean μTBS of aged Bio-RBS was higher in permanent teeth than primary teeth, and the aging process reduced the μTBS of RBS more than that of Bio-RBS. Moreover, the addition of a bonding agent improved the μTBS of aged RBS in permanent teeth. Conclusion: We concluded that Bio-RBS exhibit superior μTBS than RBS when applied to permanent teeth.