The Use of Pit and Fissure Sealants in Children Requiring Caries Related Dental Extractions

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Dental Caries
• Interventions: Procedure: Pit and Fissure Sealant of permanent molars; Procedure: No sealant of permanent molars

• Registration Number: NCT02443896
• Lead Sponsor: University of Birmingham

Brief Summary

The purpose of thus study is to assess the feasibility and inform the planning of a proposed definitive randomised controlled clinical trial to investigate the efficacy of sealing permanent molars in children requiring caries related extractions under a chair General Anaesthetic.

Detailed Description

Objective:

To evaluate,

1. The ability to recruit based on failure to meet exclusion criteria, declining to participate or other reasons and retention rates based on subsequent withdrawals.

2. Feasibility and acceptability of placing sealants in this setting, based on compliance with the intervention.

3. Sealant retention rates based on the proportion of sealants that were fully intact, partially intact or lost after 24 months.

4. Two-year incidence of caries in permanent molars that were sound and suitable for sealants at the time of the pre-GA assessment, based on the proportion of children with:

1. Experience of caries into dentine in at least one permanent molar

2. Untreated caries into dentine in at least one permanent molar

5. Oral health related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) two years following caries related extractions under GA, based on the Child-Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (Child-OIDP) scale and separate questions relating to specified oral symptoms.

6. Oral health support provided by referring practitioners, within the 2 years following the dental GA, based on,

1. Structured interview questionnaire to record parents' experience of preventive advice and treatment received, following the GA extractions

2. Sealants identified at follow up that were not present at baseline or provided as part of the study

Recruitment and randomisation:

Recruitment was carried out over a total period of 8 months. However, during this time, the study investigator (AR) was only available to recruit participants on ad hoc dates. Therefore, to facilitate recruitment, referral letters were triaged to identify children that were likely to be eligible (based on age, postcode and reason for GA referral) so they could be scheduled on these dates.

Study information (including separate leaflets for parents and children) was posted a few weeks before the GA assessment appointment.

At this visit, clinicians responsible for completing the GA assessment, also screened children to identify those that had potentially sealable permanent molars, and they were then invited to see the investigator on the same day. Further to this, eligibility to take part in the study, based on the full list of inclusion criteria was confirmed following full verbal and written consent.

Results:

Although the recruitment period extended over 8 months, as explained earlier, the study investigator was only available to undertake enrolment on a limited number of ad hoc sessions throughout this time. Based on these, 132 children were assessed for eligibility.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2014-04
• Study First Submitted: 2015-04-01
• Study First Submitted QC: 2015-05-13
• Study First Posted: 2015-05-14
• Status Verified: 2017-01
• Primary Completion: 2017-05
• Study Completion: 2018-08
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-12-21
• Last Update Posted: 2022-01-11

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 100

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Sealant applied to molars	Pit and Fissure Sealant of permanent molars	All 'sealable' permanent molars will be sealed: Occlusal fissures and where appropriate, buccal pits (on lower molars) and palatal pits (on upper molars) will be sealed. If patient compliance is adequate, a resin based sealant will be used as the first choice material. The tooth is thoroughly cleaned, prepared with a special solution, and dried. The liquid sealant is then applied and allowed to set hard.
No sealant applied to molars.	No sealant of permanent molars	No molars will be sealed.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Caries incidence	12 months	The incidence of dental caries in permanent molars will be recorded.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Birmingham Dental Hospital; 🇬🇧 Birmingham, United Kingdom