Interface Morphology of Bioactive Pit and Fissure Sealants Bonded to Primary and Permanent Teeth

Abstract

Background: The sealant–enamel interface is where the fissure sealant meets the tooth structure. The morphology of this site is important in deciding the retention and success rate of sealants. It can be evaluated using two characteristics: the penetration of the sealant into the enamel structure and the homogeneity of the sealant material itself. Objective: The aim was to compare the interface morphology of bioactive resin-based sealant (Bio-RBS) and resin-based sealant (RBS) bonded to primary and permanent teeth with and without the use of bonding agents using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Methods: Twenty-four extracted permanent molars and twenty-four primary molars were divided to eight groups and sealed with a Bio-RBS BioCoat™ (Premier®, Plymouth Meeting, PA, USA) or with a RBS Clinpro™ (3M ESPE, Saint Paul, MN, USA) with or without the use of a bonding agent (Prime & Bond NT; Dentsply, Inc., Charlotte, NC, USA). The integrity and penetration of the resin were examined using CLSM. Results: Bonded RBS showed the best interface morphology with 50% of the points having resin penetration into the enamel with continuous integrity of the resin. In the deepest point of the fissure, 64.6% of samples had no resin penetration into the enamel with structural discontinuities within the resin. Conclusion: The use of RBS showed better interface morphology than Bio-RBS. The least favorable interface was found at the deepest point of the fissure.