Background: Sealants are a great tool in the prevention of caries in the pediatric population. It has been shown that up to 71% of occlusal decay is preventable after a single sealant application in a fissure, and thus is the standard of care due to difficulty for pediatric patients in hygiene, diet, and overall home care until manual dexterity increases.
Purpose: This prospective randomized case control study aims to look at the longevity of sealants with bonding agent cured prior to sealant placement vs those with uncured bond. The study will be performed by USC graduate pediatric personnel.
Methods: A split mouth prospective randomized control study will be performed on pediatric dental patients at Long Beach Memorial's Children's Dental Health Clinic and USC Pediatric Dental Clinic, placing sealants with cured bond on half of a mouth and sealants with uncured bond on the contralateral half. Intraoral photos will be obtained at the initial visit and recalls to evaluate the overall retention/longevity of the sealant placement. The goal of this study is determine which sealant has higher longevity and to provide recommendations for future pediatric dentists regarding sealant procedures.