The Clinical Comparison of Fissure Sealant Retention Using Self-Etch and Etch-&-Rinse Adhesive Systems

Fissure sealant therapy is an effective technique to prevent occlusal caries. However, rinsing teeth after etching may cause losing child’s cooperation. Prompt L-Pop (PLP) does not require separated acid etching and rinsing phase. The purpose of this study was to compare the retention of fissure sealant therapy following preparation with PLP and acid etch bonding techniques. In this randomized clinical trial, 40 patients aged 7-12 years with a pair of intact first permanent molars in their upper or lower arches candidated for sealant therapy, were selected. One tooth was randomly prepared with single bond (SB) technique while the similar tooth was prepared with PLP. Subsequently fissure sealant therapy was performed. After 6 and 12 months, retention of sealants was checked via explorers and clinical observation. Results were statistically analyzed through exact fisher test. The success rate after 6 months was 81.1% for PLP and 67.7% for SB. In 12 month follow up, the success rate was 67.7% for PLP and 56.8% for SB. No statistically significance difference was revealed between the two groups. The retention of sealants with both techniques in 6 and 12 months period was similar. However, since PLP does not require rinsing, and therefore, provides more convenience and a shorter working time, this technique seems appropriate enough to replace the conventional acid etch and bonding technique.