Follow-up study of sealing and filling with composite resins in the prevention of occlusal caries.

A diluted composite resin (Concise diluted with Concise Enamel Bond) was used for fissure sealing and filling in 896 permanent first molars of 281 children, initially 5--7 years of age. Ordinary fissure sealing was used for fissures with no apparent caries, while a filling method was used after an explorative drilling with a small round bur (Ash No. 1/2) in fissures with incipient caries. On the basis of clinical evaluation every 6 months, the frequency of total retention of the composite material after different observation periods was calculated using the life table method. The rate of success in the fissure sealing group was 94.8% after 6 months, falling to 75.2% after 30 months. The corresponding data for the filled teeth were 92.6 % and 83.5%. It would seem that diluted composite resin is well suited for the prevention of caries in pits and fissures.