Retention and effectiveness of a single application of an adhesive sealant in preventing occlusal caries: final report after five years of a study in Kalispell, Montana.

The single application of a BIS-GMA adhesive sealant in Kalispell on a paired half-moouth basis and the annual monitoring of the sealed sites for five years is not a recommended preventive regimen. The study does proved information on the potential long-term in vivo retention of the sealant and its ability to prevent dental caries. The findings of this study clearly show that when this pit and fissure sealant is retained, its is effective in preventing caries in sealed tooth surfaces. Moreover, on occlusal surfaces, the usual susceptibility to decay is not altered by having been treated with a sealant that is not retained.