In vitro analysis of material micro-leakage in pit and fissure sealants

Abstract

A preferable choice of material offers superior resistance against micro-leakage for clinical applications in preventing dental caries in pits and fissures is of interest. A total of 45 extracted human premolars were cleaned, stored in a saline solution, and randomly divided into three groups, each intended for treatment with one of the sealants: Fuzi VII, ClinPro, and Embrace Wetbond. The application of the sealants followed the manufacturers' instructions strictly. The teeth were subjected to thermal cycling to simulate oral conditions. Marginal micro-leakage was then assessed by dye penetration method using a 0.5% methylene blue dye. Teeth were sectioned, and dye penetration was measured under a stereomicroscope. The results showed that all the tested materials exhibited some degree of micro-leakage. Within the limitations of this in vitro study, it was concluded that Embrace Wetbond exhibited superior performance in terms of minimizing marginal micro-leakage among the tested pit and fissure sealants.