Evaluation of Pit and Fissure Sealant With and Without Topical Fluoride Application

Abstract

The majority of the detected increment in dental caries is confined to pit and fissure surfaces of teeth. Application of pit and fissure sealants and topical fluorides are widely used procedures in the prevention of decay.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of pit and fissure sealant with and without topical fluoride application in the prevention of dental caries on the occlusal surfaces of teeth in children.93healthy cooperative children of both sexes with an average age (7-9 years) were included in this study, accordingly, 120 permanent first molars that were caries-free and fully erupted divided into two groups: sealant group (sealant applied on 60 permanent first molars) and sealant withfluoride group (sealant plus fluoride gel applied topically every three months intervals for 24 months on 60 permanent first molars). All children were recalled for assessment of fissure sealant and the presence or absent of dental caries at intervals of 6, 12, 18 and 24 months.The statistical analysis shows that there was no significant differences in the presence and absent of dental caries on the occlusal surfaces of the teeth between sealant group and sealant with fluoride group at baseline time and at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months intervals of recall assessment.There was some evidence about the superiority of pit and fissure sealant over topical fluoride application in the prevention of occlusal decay. However, it remained unclear to what extent there is differences between the effectiveness of pit and fissure sealant with and without topical fluoride application. No recommendation for the clinical practice could be given and the benefit of pit and fissure sealant with and without topical fluoride application should be considered locally and individually.