Preventive sealing of dental fissures with heliosil: A two-year follow-up

Due to their shape and configuration of dental crown, especially its biting surface with numerous pits and fissures permanent molars are suitable site s for retaining food remnants and bacteria. For this reason, preventive eff orts and early prophylactic procedures should prevent the development of ca ries at these critical sites. Deciduous and permanent teeth of 300 children aged 6-7 years with healthy parallel teeth were included in the study. Fis sure sealing was performed on one side, whereas contralateral teeth served as controls. During a two-year period control examinations with finding rec ordings were performed every six months. During the two-year follow-up peri od, the sealed teeth remained free of caries as long as the coating persist ed. In deciduous teeth, the sealant was first observed to be missing at 18 months in 5%, and at 24 months in. 8% of the teeth. None of these teeth was affected by caries, suggesting that apart of the sealant was retained in t he fissures. In permanent teeth, caries developed in 18% of the sealed teet h at 24 months.