Caries preventive effect of occlusal sealant extension to ART restorations compared with non-extended amalgam restorations.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the survival of retention of sealant extension to occlusal ART restorations over 6.3 years; and to test the null-hypothesis that there is no difference in dentine caries lesion development in sealant extension to ART restorations in comparison with sealant free extensions to amalgam restorations in occlusal surfaces over 6.3 years.


METHODS
In a parallel group design, 318 and 254 grade 2 children were randomly assigned to the ART and amalgam group respectively. Eight dentists placed 925 evaluatable single- and multiple-surfaces restorations. A total of 424 sealed extensions to occlusal ART and 284 sealant free extensions to occlusal amalgam restorations were available for analyses. The modified actuarial method was used to estimate survival percentages. The jackknife method was applied to calculate the SE in the cumulative survival percentages.


RESULTS
After 6.3 years, 11.2% (SE = 2.2%) of sealant extensions were fully retained and 16.7% (SE = 2.8%) were partially retained. After 6.3 years, 86.4% (SE = 2.2%) of the sealed pits and fissures adjacent to occlusal ART restorations and 89.9% (SE = 2.4%) of non-sealed pits and fissures adjacent to occlusal amalgam restorations were free of dentine caries lesions. Neither this difference nor those at earlier evaluation years were statistically significant (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Sealing pits and fissures adjacent to occlusal ART restorations did not result in a caries preventive benefit over non-sealed pits and fissures adjacent to occlusal amalgam restorations in this group of children over 6.3 years.
Frencken
Jo E
JE
WHO Collaborating Centre for Oral Health Care Planning and Future Scenarios, Radboud University Medical Centre, College of Dental Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. j.frencken@dent.umcn.nl
van 't Hof
Martin A
MA
Taifour
Dia
D
D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000737:chemistry; D001840:Dental Bonding; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000379:methods*; D003804:Dentin / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013499:Surface Properties; D016019:Survival Analysis
D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants; C110713:fuji IX; C110712:ketac-molar; D003723:Dental Amalgam