Clinical evaluation of Fluroshield pit and fissure sealant.

A triple-blind clinical study was performed to measure the amount, rate and oral distribution of fluoride released from Fluoroshield, a commercially available, filled Bis-GMA type sealant containing 2% NaF and 1% adhesion promoter. The study also compared the retention of this sealant in vivo with its nonfluoride-containing analog, Prisma-Shield. One hundred forty-seven pairs of caries-free permanent first molars in 82 children, aged six to nine years, were sealed with the two sealant types. Samples of whole unstimulated saliva, as well as site-specific saliva samples, were collected from 20 randomly selected subjects and analyzed for fluoride content. Complete or partial coverage was observed for 274 of 275 teeth evaluated at six months and for all 199 teeth evaluated at 12 months. There were no statistically significant differences in retention between the two sealants at 6 to 12 months. The release of fluoride was intense, but of short duration. Mean whole saliva fluoride content was 2.9 ppm +/- 0.13 (S.E.), and site-specific saliva fluoride content was 11.4 ppm +/- 1.02 (S.E.) buccal to the fluoride-releasing sealant at 30 minutes; both values returned to baseline within 24 hours. It was concluded that the addition and subsequent release of fluoride in Fluroshield did not decrease its retentiveness.