Fissure sealants in primary molars: retention of colored sealants with variable etch times, at twelve months.

There is no significant difference in sealant retention on primary molars etched for sixty seconds or for 120 seconds, twelve months after application. No caries was found on any sealed surface. Decreasing the etch-time for primary molars has been found to decrease the chance of contamination, during etching. Additionally, the shorter etch-time was far more acceptable to three and four-year-old children. This study is part of a continuing investigation of the retention, caries-reduction and overall cost-effectiveness of sealing permanent and primary teeth in children.