Evaluation of clinical success of different fissure sealants in permanent teeth

This thesis aimed to evaluate the 18-month clinical performance of a bioactive resin-based pit and fissure sealant (BioCoat™) compared to a fluoride-releasing resin-based sealant (Fissurit FX). The study included 63 pediatric patients aged 7–9 years who presented to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Faculty of Dentistry for routine examination and treatment and who had an indication for noninvasive pit and fissure sealant application on the mandibular permanent first molars. The sealant materials were applied using a split-mouth design, with randomization into Group 1 (BioCoat™) and Group 2 (Fissurit FX). Following the completion of the treatments, the patients were recalled for follow-up examinations at 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months. During these follow-ups, the sealants were evaluated based on modified USPHS criteria for marginal discoloration, marginal adaptation, retention, and the occurrence of secondary caries. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics v23 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, Chicago, IL, 2015), and the significance level was set at p<0.05.At the end of the 18-month follow-up period, the overall success rate was 90.2% for Group 1 and 88.2% for Group 2, with no statistically significant difference between the groups (p>0.05). Survival analysis also revealed no significant difference between the groups (p=0.744). The median survival time was calculated as 17.72 months (range: 17.28–18.15) for Group 1 and 17.49 months (range: 16.96–18.03) for Group 2. Analysis of failure reasons indicated that the most common cause in Group 1 was loss of retention, whereas the primary cause in Group 2 was the development of secondary caries. Gender, age, dfs score, gingival index, plaque index, and caries risk status were not found to have a statistically significant effect on the failure of the materials (p>0.05).In conclusion, both BioCoat™ and Fissurit FX demonstrated similar clinical success rates. However, due to its bioactive properties and potential advantages, BioCoat™ may be recommended as a suitable alternative to conventional resin-based pit and fissure sealants, particularly in children with high caries risk.