Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026
Precision of In Vivo Quantitative Tooth Wear Measurement Using Intra-Oral Scans
Published on: July 12, 2022
Measurement of sealant surface area by clinical/computerized analysis: 11-year results
Renato Herman Sundfeld1, Silvio José Mauro, André Luiz Fraga Briso
1Department of Restorative Dentistry, Araçatuba School of Dentistry, Paulista State University, Araçatuba, Brazil. sundfeld@foa.unesp.br
Objective:
To analyze the clinical behavior of 2 pit and fissure sealants through clinical/computerized evaluation.
Method And Materials:
Occlusal sealants were placed on maxillary and mandibular first and second premolars according to a split-mouth design. All premolars were sealed with either Concise (3M Espe) or Prisma Shield (Caulk/Dentsply) sealant agents. A hematoxylin-based staining solution was applied on the occlusal surface 7 days, 18 months, 36 months, and 11 years after occlusal sealing to allow checking of the sealant material on the surface. At each analysis time all occlusal surfaces were photographed, and the photographs corresponding to each time period were analyzed with SigmaScan 4.0 Software. The alterations of the sealed area of each sealant were analyzed with the software and recorded. Next, the measurements of the areas were tabulated and analyzed according to each period. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), with parts subdivided into time, and the t test, with a significance level of 5%, were used.
Results:
The greatest sealed area was maintained by the sealant Concise. However, over the course of 11 years, all sealants began to show the same level of alteration in sealed area.
Conclusion:
The sealing materials showed alteration in sealed area over time, but they were efficient in controlling caries lesion formation on premolar pits and fissures.
