Effect of bevelling on marginal microleakage of buccal-surface fissure sealants in permanent teeth

Abstract

This was to assess the effect of bevelling the margins of fissures on buccal surfaces in permanent molars on marginal microleakage of fissure sealants. The in vitro study was performed on buccal surfaces of 20 extracted permanent third molars, randomly divided into two groups of 10 teeth. Group I: performing enameloplasty (opening the fissures using fissurotomy bur), conditioning with phosphoric acid (37% phosphoric acid for 20 s), placing bonding (enamel bonding agent), and then fissure sealant. Group II: all stages were similar to group I, except for bevelling the margins of buccal fissures (0.5 mm bevel) after enameloplasty. Teeth were then thermocycled, stained with 0.5% basic fuchsin, sectioned and examined for marginal microleakage. The Mann-Whitney test was used for statistical analysis. No dye penetration was seen in Group II (with bevel), but there was a 60% microleakage in Group I (without bevel) (p=0.005). In permanent molar teeth, bevelling the margins of fissures on the buccal surfaces appears to reduce the marginal microleakage of fissure sealants.