An experimental in vivo procedure for the standardised assessment of sealants retention over time

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ABSTRACT

Aim

The elaboration of an experimental system to obtain reproducible and comparable photographs of the occlusal surface
to monitor sealants retention.

Methods

An intraoral camera connected to a computer was used to obtain photos of
the occlusal surfaces. A specific software was utilized to perform measurements on archived pictures. An experimental two-part system,
consisting of a dental arch support and a camera support, connected to each other through holes and pins, was made to obtain a
standardised and reproducible placement of the camera in the mouth. In the first part, to test the degree of reliability of the procedure
and the percentage of image distortion, 120 first molars were sealed and for each molar ten photographs were taken, using the intraoral
camera connected with the dental arch support, the camera support and the dedicated software. In the second part, 165 first molars
were sealed and photographed, as above described, immediately after sealing (T0), 6 months (T1) and 1 year later (T2). With the
software, the sealed areas were measured. The comparison of the selected sealed areas between T0 and T1, T0 and T2, T1 and T2
determined the percentage of sealant loss.

Results

In the first part, the experimental procedure showed a reliability of 96.85.
In the second part, the difference in the rate of lost sealant between T0-T1 and T1-T2 was statistically significant (p <0.001). Statistics: ANOVA analysis was made. CONCLUSIONS: Photographs, obtained through the experimental two-part system, allowing a reproducible positioning of the intraoral camera in oral cavity, could represent a standardised and useful method to monitor sealants retention over time.

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