Effect of prophylaxis agents on the shear bond strength of a fissure sealant.

However, the best method for cleaning the pits and fissures has not been agreed upon. Taylor and Gwinnett3, Garcia-Godoy and Gwinnett4,5, and GardaGodoy and Medlock6 showed that pumice particles become lodged in the fissures and are not removed after rinsing with a stream of water. Main et al. 7 demonstrated that the acquired pellicle is removed completely by standard acid-etching and Donnan and Ball 8 concluded that sealant retention was not significantly different with or without a previous pumice prophylaxis before etching. Although the pumice prophylaxis does not seem necessary for the complete retention of fissure sealants, in some cases of poor oral hygiene a prophylaxis is appropriate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different prophylaxis methods on the shear bond strength of a fissure sealant.