Microleakage study of fissure sealant using different self-etching bonding agents

Objective To evaluate the microleakage and penetration ability of the light-curing fissure sealant(3M Concise White) using different self-etching bonding agents in vitro.Methods Thirty-six caries-free extracted human third molars were randomly divided into four groups with nine teeth each.Occlusal surfaces were cleansed by pumice, In the control group, sealants were placed after enamel etching with 37% phosphoric acid.In the remaining three groups, fissures were sealed with the self-etching bonding agents including ClearFil SE bond, Xeno Ⅲ or iBond.Eight teeth in each group were stained with 1% methylene blue.For the evaluation of penetration of fissure sealants and interface characteristics, one specimen in each group was analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy(SEM).Results Fissure sealant in the group using iBond showed significantly more microleakage and inferior sealing ability compared with feasure sealants in the other groups.There were no significantly differences concerning the microleakage among groups using phosphoric acid, ClearFil SE bond or Xeno Ⅲ .Conclusion Use of self-etching bonding agents, ClearFil SE bond and XenoⅢ, is recommended for pit and fissure sealing.