Evaluation between flowable composite and conventional pit-and-fissure sealant among school children in Bengaluru City: Randomized controlled trail

Abstract

Introduction: Restorative dentistry has achieved remarkable developments in halting caries predominantly seen in pit and fissures. Flowable composite resin is predominantly used as pit-and-fissure sealants in recent years. The aim of our study was to compare the retentive properties of a flowable composite resin compared to a conventional sealant in 6–9 years school children over 18 months’ period. Materials and Methods: The study was a randomized controlled trail and conducted over a period of 18 months. Forty participants were randomly selected for this study from the private school. Flowable composite resin was used to seal the mandibular 1st molars on one side and conventional resin sealant was used on the other side. Results: The differences in the retention status between the sealants after 12 and 18 months were found statistically significant with P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively. When the retention status was compared within the materials at different intervals, it was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Conventional resin-based sealants had better retention rate at 12 and 18 months’ duration than the flowable composite resin.