A 5-year clinical evaluation of the effectiveness of a fissure sealant in mentally retarded Canadian children.
The occlusal fissures of 812 permanent and primary posterior teeth were sealed with an ultraviolet polymerisable resin. A half mouth technique was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the sealant in the prevention of fissure caries. At the end of 5 years 19.3% of 409 teeth in 103 children had the sealant completely intact and fissures were partially sealed in 20.8%. Retention was greatest in the mandibular pre-molars. The decay rate was less than half in the treated teeth compared to the control teeth. The net gain was 62 teeth and the percent effectiveness was 57.9%. Thus there was still a highly significant effect of a single application of the fissure sealant after 5 years. Simple cost benefit calculations indicate that the technique is not suitable as a public health measure but has merit for mentally retarded persons and in private practice situations.
D000179:Acrylates; D017438:Bisphenol A-Glycidyl Methacrylate; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004245:DMF Index; D001840:Dental Bonding; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability; D008689:Methacrylates; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants; D013997:Time Factors
D000179:Acrylates; D008689:Methacrylates; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants; D017438:Bisphenol A-Glycidyl Methacrylate