effect of adhesive application on sealant success: a clinical study of fifth and seventh generation adhesive systems

objectives: the aim of the study was to compare the effect of fifth and seventh generation bonding agent on sealant success. materials and methods: sixty-four school children aged six to nine years received sealants in four permanent molars in a split mouth design, such that each patient received sealant in the first permanent molar with fifth generation bonding agent in one arch and seventh generation bonding agent in the other arch; contra-lateral molars were sealed with sealant alone. the evaluation was carried out at baseline, three months, six months and 12 months, according to the criteria by feigal et al, in 2000. chi- square test was used to analyze data at p<0.05 level of significance. results: statistically significant differences were found for sealant retention between fifth generation and sealant group, and fifth generation and seventh generation groups; whereas, no significant difference was found for sealant retention between seventh generation and sealant group at three, six and 12 months. conclusion: as separate etch and rinse steps are not required for seventh generation bonding agents, and almost similar results were obtained for both sealant and seventh generation groups, it can be concluded that application of sealant along with a seventh generation bonding agent may enhance sealant success and can be used for caries prevention in preventive programs.