Change in occlusal height resulting from placement of pit and fissure sealants.
This in-vitro study was done to identify the amount of change in occlusal height resulting from standard sealant application technique and to determine whether this change was uniform for both a filled and an unfilled sealant material. Twelve dental hygienists experienced in sealant technique each applied 10 filled sealants and 10 unfilled sealants in standardized artificial teeth mounted in a dentiform and mannikin setup in a dental unit. The teeth were measured with a digital caliper before and after sealant placement. Measurements were from a predetermined point at the apical area of the teeth to the depth of the central fossa. For the sample of 240 teeth, the mean sealant thickness was 0.43 +/- 0.20 mm. When the data for the filled and unfilled sealants were examined separately, the means were 0.47 +/- 0.23 mm and 0.38 +/- 0.16 mm, respectively. A t-test indicated a significant difference at p < 0.001. Analysis of variance revealed significant interoperator differences in sealant thickness (p < 0.01).
Stach
D J
DJ
Department of Dental Hygiene, University of Colorado School of Dentistry, Denver.
Hatch
R A
RA
Tilliss
T S
TS
Cross-Poline
G N
GN
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003756:Dental Hygienists; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D006801:Humans; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants; D011361:Professional Competence
D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants