Prevention of occlusal caries using a ozone, sealant and fluoride varnish in children.

OBJECTIVES

To compare ozone with fissure sealants and fluoride varnish in the prevention of occlusal caries in permanent premolars of children in 12 months period.

METHODS

A clinical trial was conducted on four groups of 10 years old schoolchildren: a group 1 - control group (n=50); a group 2 (n=21) in which fluoride varnish was applied and re-applied up to 12 months; a group 3 (n=17) in which sealant was applied and reapplied up to 12 months; and a group 4 (n=19) in which ozone was applied and re-applied up to 12 months. Percent caries reduction was studied in these initially healthy molars with complete occlusal eruption: 173 (control), 103 (varnish), 78 (sealants) and 103 (ozone) premolars met inclusion criteria. All patients were examined using DMFT index and Greene - Vermillion index at a baseline and in 6 months with a follow up period of 12 months. Each tooth was considered as the unit of the analysis. Data were analyzed using t-test and the chi-square tests.

RESULTS

The prevalence of caries was: in group 1 - 3.5% (n=6), in group 2 and group 3 - 0% (n=0), in group 4 - 2.9%, (n=3). The changes in occlusal caries incidence between all groups were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The placement of fissure sealant, application of fluoride varnish, and application of ozone - are recommended to use in prevention of occlusal pit and fissure caries in permanent premolars in children. Furthermore, they are not significantly different from one another in their effectiveness.