Clinical Dentistry and Research, vol.47, no.3, pp.62-70, 2023 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
Background and Aims: Fissure sealing is an important and effective procedure for preventing caries on occlusal surfaces and the retention of fissure sealants plays a key role in the success of treatment. The aim of this randomized, controlled clinical study was to evaluate the performance of a universal adhesive system applied in etch-and-rinse or self-etch mode and an etch-and-rinse adhesive system on fissure sealant retention over 24 months. Materials and Methods: One hundred forty-four sealants were placed on the permanent premolars and molars of 13 participants. The teeth were divided into three groups: SB2 (control): Adper Single Bond 2, SBU-ER: Single Bond Universal/ etch-and-rinse, and SBU-SE: Single Bond Universal/self-etch. After the adhesive procedures, Fissurit FX was applied and light-cured. Clinical evaluations were performed at baseline and at 1-week and 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month recalls. A visual examination was performed during every visit for evaluation of the sealants. The scoring in the evaluation was as follows: 1= completely retained; 2= partial loss; 3= total loss. Pearson’s chisquared test was used for each evaluation period. Results: At the 24-month recall, 94 sealants of the 13 patients were completely retained. Complete retention rates were 95.45% for SB2, 95.7% for SBU-ER, and 60% for SBUSE. Retention rates in the SBU-SE group were significantly different in all periods of evaluation (p= 0.019). No new caries formation was detected during the observation period. Conclusion: Fissure sealants applied in etch-and-rinse mode showed better retention rates than those applied with the selfetch technique.