A Clinical Trial to Assess the Retention and Caries Preventive Effects of Moisture Tolerant Resin Sealant and ART Sealants

Dental caries is a diet dependent, transmissible, micro biologically mediated disease, which follows both an infectious and chronic disease model that progresses slowly with periods of quiescence.

From the literature available, it is understood that although dental caries is on the decline in many of the developed countries, it still remains unchanged with regards to pits and fissure caries of occlusal surfaces of the teeth. This increase in susceptibility is due to its inherent morphological structure which makes a person unable to maintain cleanliness devoid of food lodgement.. Although pits and fissures of occlusal surfaces form only 12.5% of all tooth surfaces yet, they constitute more than 2/3rd of total caries experience among young permanent teeth.

The prevention of dental caries not only includes measures to prevent the occurrence of disease, such as risk factor reduction, but also to arrest the progress of disease and reduce the consequences of disease once it is established Creativity in this effort against fissure caries continues, with newer materials and technology tested each year. The traditional preventive methods, such as diet control and fluoride therapy effectively prevent dental caries on smooth tooth surfaces, but they have not been satisfactory methods to control caries in pit and fissures.

At the time that acid etch bonding was first described by Buonocore in 1955 , bonding was a new technology, and a logical step in its use was the prevention of pit and fissure decay. The focus of Buonocore's work was the development of a sealant to prevent occlusal caries on posterior teeth.Thus, resin sealants were born. Acid treatment of enamel or dentin, whether a priory or concomitant bonding step, has been integrated into methods to retain materials and significantly reduce micro leakage at material tooth interfaces.

Pit and fissure sealant is a "cement or resin material which is introduced into unprepared occlusal pit and fissure of caries susceptible teeth, forming a mechanical and physical protective layer against the action of acid producing bacteria and their substrate".