Abstract
This study was carried out to evaluate the adhesive effects of sealants on the enamel surface. Premolars to be extracted for orthodontic purposes were obtained with informed consent of the donors. The buccal surface of each premolar was flattened by grinding with silicon carbide emery paper(#600). Resin sealants and glass-ionomer cement sealant were built up on the flattened buccal enamel surfaces after the surfaces had being etched according to manufacturer's instructions. After 24 hours of storage in water at 37°C, the teeth were vertically sectioned through the sealant ahd enamel using a low-speed diamond saw to produce 1×1×8 mm beam specimens. Adhesive strengths between the sealants and enamels were determined using a micro-tensile tester.
The results showed that resin sealants had significantly higher adhesive strengths than did glassionomer cement sealant(one-way ANOVA, p<0.05). Teethmate F-1 was 35.4±13.4 MPa, Clear seal F was 25.4±9.6 MPa, Fluorosealant was 36.7±11.7 MPa, and FujiIIILC was 14.8±9.2 MPa. SEM observation of fractured surfaces revealed that most of the fractures were cohesive failures within resins and glass-ionomer cement materials. Adhesive failure at the interface was not found in any of the specimens. The results demonstrated that adhesive strengths between sealants and enamels were higher than the strengths of sealant materials, indicating that the adhesive strengths of currently used sealants to enamel surfaces are sufficient.
