A practice-based study of the sealant treatment effectiveness in Finns.
OBJECTIVE
The effectiveness of fissure sealing in preventing dental caries in a subject-specific fashion was studied in order to forge a link between the controlled trials and knowledge creation in clinical practice.


METHODS
The subjects were divided retrospectively into three categories according to the sealant treatment status of their first permanent molars at the first examination after the eruption and the survival of first molars in each group were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.


RESULTS
Sealing of all first molars in caries-prone subjects was an effective caries preventive method. The highest survival of first molars was observed in the unsealed subjects in the health center focusing on sealing risk-subjects only. The first molars of partly sealed subjects had the lowest probability of survival in both health centers.


CONCLUSIONS
Sealing all four permanent first molars rather than some of them in high caries risk subjects and leaving unsealed the first molars of caries resistant subjects enable to decrease unnecessary sealant treatment by focusing it especially to those benefiting it.
Leskinen
Kaja
K
Department of Cariology, Endodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Oulu, Finland. kaja.leskinen@oulu.fi
Salo
Sinikka
S
Suni
Jorma
J
Larmas
Markku
M
D000293:Adolescent; D017438:Bisphenol A-Glycidyl Methacrylate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008963:Molar; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants; D017438:Bisphenol A-Glycidyl Methacrylate