The invasive pit-and-fissure sealing technique in pediatric dentistry: an SEM study of a preventive restoration.

From the dental literature, it is clear that the clinical application of pit-and-fissure sealants is a necessity in pedodontics. The choice between the non-invasive and the invasive techniques remains a matter of debate. In this SEM study, a comparison is made between different types of burs in order to obtain the best fissure preparation before the application of a sealant. The results of this study clearly show that, by applying the invasive sealing technique, the choice of an adequate bur is important to obtain a caries-free fissure, with a minimal loss of tooth substance. Two types of burs were found to perform best, according to the amount of tooth substance removed. Moreover, from a clinical point of view they were also found to be the most efficient ones. A detailed review is given concerning the choice of the actual preventive restorations for use in pedodontics.