Alternative of Lower-Cost Glass-Ionomer Sealant in the Prevention of Caries Lesions in Brazilian Children

Objective: To compare retention, preventive effectiveness and longevity of two different high-viscosity glass-ionomer sealants Ketac Molar ® and Maxxion R ® in the sealing of erupting and out-of-occlusion first permanent molar in children aged 5-7 years.  Material and Methods: Children with past caries experience with healthy erupting first permanent molarwere included in the study. Teeth 16 and 46 were sealed with Ketac Molar ® and teeth 26 and 36 were sealed with Maxxion R ® . After 8 months, the retention of sealants was evaluated using the following criteria: total retention; presence of sealant in two thirds of the occlusal surface; presence of sealant in one third of the surface; and total absence of the sealant.  Results: Statistical difference between materials was observed, and  Ketac Molar ® retention was superior to that of  Maxxion R ® (p<0.05). Regarding the development of caries in sealed  first permanent molar , none of the teeth sealed with  Ketac Molar ® or  Maxxion R ® developed caries lesion.  Conclusion: Ketac Molar ® retention is significantly superior to that of Maxxion R ® , but the preventive effectiveness in the development of carious lesions is similar for both, which is extremely interesting for the field of public health, since the cost of the material is significantly lower.