Clinical effectiveness of an autopolymerized fissure sealant (Delton) after thirty-three months.

The clinical effectiveness of Delton (Johnson and Johnson Dental Products Company, East Windsor, New Jersey) fissure sealent was studied in 205 children 6 to 10 years of age (mean age, ;n/2). A total of 993 children in Grades 1, 3, and 4 was screened, and subjects were selected if there was evidence of previous dental caries in the mouth and if a pair of contralateral maxillary or mandibular first permanent molar teeth was free of caries. After 33 months, there were 5 sealants completely lost, 11 sealants partially lost, 22 experimental teeth carious or filled, and 101 control teeth carious or filled in 164 subjects. Consequently, sealant retention was 77%, and effectiveness in caries reduction was 78%. The number of teeth per 100 saved by sealant application (net gain) was 48. Introduction During the past 10 years, numerous studies ~-8 have demonstrated the retention and clinical effectiveness of the ultraviolet light-polymerized sealants in caries prevention. This study was undertaken to test the retention and effectiveness of a conventionally polymerized fissure sealant (Delton).t Materials and methods Two hundred five subjects were selected from 993 children when there was evidence of caries in the mouth, and a pair of caries-free, contralateral first permanent molars was present. The children were 6 to 10 years of age with a mean age of 71/2 years, and they were in Grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 of three parochial schools in Jersey City, a recently fluoridated commu* Support by the Johnson and Johnson Dental Products Company is acknowledged. t Johnson and Johnson Dental Products Co., East Windsor, New Jemey. Accepted: April 1979 nity. Of the 205 subjects treated, 196, 186, 175, and 164 were examined after 5, 11, 24, and 33 months, respectively (Fig. 1). Two pedodontists examined the children independently and recorded the decayed, missing, and filled surfaces as well as the presence or absence of sealant. When there was a disagreement relative to the condition of a particular tooth, the tooth was reexamined by both dentists, and a consensus rating was recorded.