Preventive and Therapeutic Proximal Sealants
Condition: Dental Caries
MeSH terms: Dental Caries
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 4

Summary: 
      It is of clinical importance to arrest the development of approximal caries at an early
      stage. The potential for initial caries to develop into manifest lesions has motivated
      studies on the use of sealants to arrest the progression of caries on both occlusal and
      approximal tooth surfaces.

      Therefore, the aim of the present study was to follow-up and examine after 3.5 years, the
      efficacy of sealing caries-free or non-cavitated mesial surfaces of first permanent molars
      abutting lesions on the distal surfaces of second primary molars. The null hypothesis tested
      here was that preventive and therapeutic sealants do not prevent the development or slow the
      progression of dental caries over a period of 3.5 years in comparison to non-sealed control
      surfaces.
    

Detailed description: 
      The study population comprised 121 schoolchildren aged 8 to 10 years in a high-caries
      community in Valparaiso, Chile. They were examined clinically and radiographically, divided
      into 3 groups, and treated accordingly: children in Group A had no carious lesions on the
      approximal surfaces of 05d-6m and received no sealants; those in group B had active caries on
      05d and received a preventive sealant on the caries-free 6m; and those in group C had active
      caries on 05d with an initial active lesion on 6m and received a therapeutic sealant on 6m.
      After 3.5 years, standardized follow-up radiographs were obtained for the children that
      remained.
    

Intervention name(s): proximal preventive sealants; proximal therapeutic sealant
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): On sound mesial surfaces of first permanent molars adjacent to a caries active lesion of second primary molar, after 4-6 days with an orthodontic separating rubber ring around the approximal contact area. The test site was isolated with cotton rolls or a rubber dam. The surface of 6m was etched with 35% phosphoric acid for 20 sec, washed with water and then air-dried. The sealant (Concise Sealant; 3M ESPE) was applied and light-cured for 20 sec each on the occlusal, buccal and lingual sides. After polymerization, the sealant was inspected for complete coverage.; On mesial surfaces of first permanent molars with caries active lesion adjacent to a caries active lesion of second primary molar , after 4-6 days with an orthodontic separating rubber ring around the approximal contact area. The test site was isolated with cotton rolls or a rubber dam. The surface of 6m was etched with 35% phosphoric acid for 20 sec, washed with water and then air-dried. The sealant (Concise Sealant; 3M ESPE) was applied and light-cured for 20 sec each on the occlusal, buccal and lingual sides. After polymerization, the sealant was inspected for complete coverage.
Other intervention name(s): Concise Sealant (3M ESPE); Concise Sealant (3M ESPE)
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Investigator)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: dental caries; risk assessment; approximal sealant; permanent molar; preventive dentistry; adolescent