Comparative Analysis of Contemporary Dental Sealants for the Prevention of Occlusal Caries in Pediatric Dentistry

Occlusal caries has been one of the most common dental diseases in children which develop mostly in the pits and fissures of the molars. The modern dental sealants have undergone great development, with modern day materials such as resin sealants, glass ionomer cements and more modern bioactive materials which are aimed at further bettering caries prevention by releasing fluoride and retaining it better (1,5). Objective: To constructively compare the clinical effectiveness, retention rates, and caries-preventive potential of the modern dental sealants in children, a combination of published evidence and simulated clinical and survey-based results. Methods: A comparative study was performed, which is a mixed-method based on secondary data of the recent literature (2018-2024) and supported by mock clinical data (n=60 teeth) of a local pediatric dental unit and a structured survey on parental satisfaction (n=40). The sealants were classified into three categories; resin based, glass ionomer, and bioactive sealants. The results evaluated were retention rate, prevalence of caries of the mouth and the satisfaction of the patient/parent. ANOVA and correlation testing (p<0.05) was conducted using statistics. Results: The sealants that registered the highest retention rates were resin-based (92%), bioactive sealants (85%), and glass ionomer sealants (71%). There was however no significant difference between groups in terms of caries prevention rates with bioactive sealants performing a little bit better in patients with high risk (caries incidence: 6% vs 9% vs 11%). The response of parents in the surveys showed that they were more satisfied with bioactive materials because of the feeling of safety and fluoride release. The statistical data showed that there was no major difference in the caries prevention (p>0.05) when there was a significant difference in the retention (p<0.01). Conclusion: Although resin-based sealants can offer better retention, the bioactive and glass ionomer sealants have similar caries prevention abilities particularly in pediatric environment where moisture can compromise the effect of the sealant. The choice of materials must be in response to the clinical conditions and not just retention.