Study of the effect of fluoride-releasing fissure sealant and conventional fissure sealant on inhibition of primary carious lesions with or without exposure to fluoride-containing toothpaste

Fluoride releasing capacity has been added to fissure sealants to have the positive anti-decay effects of both sealant and fluoride. This research is aimed at comparatively study the inhibitory effects of conventional and fluoride-releasing fissure sealants with or without exposure to fluoride toothpaste on primary carious lesions. Cavities were created on buccal surfaces of 24 premolar teeth which were randomly divided into three groups. In the cavities of the first group, fluoride releasing fissure sealant and in the second group, conventional fissure sealant were put, and the third group was left intact. Early lesions were produced around the cavities. Each group was divided into two subgroups, which were exposed to fluoride-containing toothpaste or artificial saliva. The depth of lesions were measured under polarized light microscope before and after treatment. Change of lesion depth in each sample was analyzed by SPSS 17 software. Initial and final caries depths were significantly lower in fluoride-releasing fissure sealant group than the others (p<0.001). The average depths of caries were less in subgroups which were exposed to fluoride-containing toothpaste than the subgroups exposed to artificial saliva and the difference was significant in conventional sealant group and the group without sealant (p<0.001), however, the difference between toothpaste-exposed and saliva-exposed subgroups was not significant in fluoride-releasing fissure sealant group (p=0.721). Adding fluoride to the fissure sealants can be effective in the inhibition of dental caries. It seems that fluoride, released from fluoride-releasing sealants, overwhelm the remineralizing capacity of fluoride released from toothpaste, on the same tooth.