Objective: This work aimed to compare the effect of retention and preventive caries of the pit and fissure sealant on primary teeth by using glass ionomer cements (GIC) with or without acid etching technique.
Methods: In this clinical trail, 100 children aged 3-4 years old with a split-mouth design were equally divided into two groups (the left second upper and lower mandibular primary molars were present in group A, and the right second upper and lower mandibular primary molars were present in group B; each group had 200 molars). All participants were placed in pit and fissure sealant with Ketac® Molar Easymix and seated with atraumatic restorative treatmen press-finger technique in the two groups. Group A was subjected to acid etching (40 s, 35% H₃PO₄), while group B were not subjected to acid etching. GIC preservation rate, caries rate, and decayed teeth (dt) index were observed after 12 months.
Results: After a 12-month follow-up period, the completely lost, partially losing, and losing rates of GIC in 86 children (172 second primary molars) were 83.14%, 9.88%, 6.98% in group A and 62.79%, 20.35%, and 16.86% in group B, respectively. The differences between the two groups were insignificant (P<0.05). The caries rates of groups A and B were 8.14% and 16.86%, and their dt indices were 0.08±0.31 and 1.17±0.46, respectively, thereby indicating significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05).
Conclusions: Using acid etching technology, the retention rate of the pit and fissure sealant increased, while its losing rate decreased. The retention effect of the GIC was improved, and the dental caries prevention effect was enhanced. Sealant processing was a self-curing procedure that sets without the external energy. Hence, this procedure is suitable for the preventive caries of primary teeth in children.
目的 评价采用酸蚀技术对乳牙玻璃离子封闭的效果。方法 选择3~4岁幼儿第二乳磨牙无龋者共100名，采用自身半口对照方法，以左侧上下颌第二乳磨牙分为A组，右侧上下颌第二乳磨牙为B组，每组200颗牙。两组均采用Ketac® Molar Easymix玻璃离子和非创伤性充填指压技术进行窝沟封闭，其中A组采用酸蚀技术（35%磷酸酸蚀40 s）进行封闭，B组不作酸蚀处理。观察12个月后两组封闭剂保留情况和第二乳磨牙患龋情况。结果 12个月后随访到幼儿86人，每组172颗牙，共344颗牙。A组封闭剂的完全保留率、部分脱落率和完全脱落率分别为83.14%、9.88%和6.98%，B组分别为62.79%、20.35%和16.86%，经统计学处理，差异均有统计学意义（P<0.05）。A、B组患龋率别为8.14%和16.86%，龋均为0.08±0.31和1.17±0.46，差异均有统计学意义（P<0.05）。结论 采用酸蚀技术，窝沟封闭剂的完全保留率高而脱落率低，固位效果提高，防龋效果增强。该技术操作简单，无需其他固化设备，适宜在幼儿乳牙群体防龋中使用。.
Keywords: acid etching; glass ionomer cement; pit and fissure sealant; primary teeth; retention rate.