[A comparative study between two different technics for retention the pit and fissure sealants]

Area of Science:

• Dental Public Health
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Dental caries is a significant global public health issue affecting nearly everyone.
• Effective retention of dental sealants is key to their anticariogenic efficacy in pits and fissures.
• Current sealant application methods include air abrasion and acid etching.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the retention efficiency of pit and fissure sealants on primary teeth.
• To evaluate sealant retention following enamel pre-conditioning with acid etching versus air abrasion.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, comparative study involving 40 primary teeth.
• Teeth were randomly assigned to enamel conditioning with either acid etching or air abrasion.
• Shear bond strength was tested using an Instron testing machine; Student's t-test analyzed results.

Main Results:

• The mean shear bond strength for the air abrasion group was 2.62 kgf.
• The mean shear bond strength for the acid etching group was 3.55 kgf.
• A statistically significant difference (p=0.007) favored the acid etching group.

Conclusions:

• Acid etching demonstrated superior retention efficiency for dental sealants in primary teeth.
• This suggests acid etching may be a more effective method for sealant application in pediatric dentistry.