Renu A Mathew et al 284 Pit and Fissure Sealants: A Recent Advancement 1 Renu A Mathew, 2 Ajay Narayan, 3 Eldho Babu, 4 Vinnimary Oommen, 5 Hisham Ibrahim, 6 Sabba Fatima IJOCR RevIew ARtICle 10.5005/jp-journals-10051-0064 it took several more years before the sealant technique, and other clinical innovations that have resulted from Buonocore’s work, began to be adopted in clinical den- tistry to any significant degree. Still, more than 30 years after the introduction of PFS to the dental market place, the profession has not embraced the procedure to the extent that available scientific data would expect. 2 While levels of tooth decay (dental caries) in children and adolescents have declined in many parts of the world in recent decades, caries remains a public health problem in many countries. 3,4 The molar teeth account for most of the decay expe- rience in the primary 5 and permanent teeth 6 of children and adolescents. The molar teeth have many grooves (fissures) and pits on the chewing (occlusal) surface and on the buccal and palatal surfaces, which can be very dif- ficult to keep clean. These are the sites most susceptible to developing decay. 7 Pit and fissure sealants (PFS) are materials that are applied to the pits and fissure surfaces of teeth to create a thin barrier that protects the sealed surface from decay. 8-10 TYPES OF PFS Resins Resin-based fissure sealants (FSs) are bonded to the underlying enamel by the use of the acid etch technique. Their caries preventive property is based on the establish- ment of a tight seal, which prevents leakage of nutrients to the microflora in the deeper parts of the fissure. The resin sealants may be either pure resin, composites, or compomers, and their polymerization may be initiated chemically or by light. 11 Pit and Fissure Sealants These are available as clear, opaque, or tinted. No product has demonstrated a superior retention rate but the tinted and opaque FSs have the advantage of more accurate evaluation by the dentist at recall. 12 Glass Ionomer Cements One of the main clinical advantages of glass ionomer cement (GIC) is their ability to bond chemically to dentin and enamel without the use of the acid-etch technique, which makes them less vulnerable to moisture. This, in conjunction with active F release into the surrounding 1,3 Senior Lecturer, 2,4-6 Reader 1-3 Department of Pedodontics, Al-Azhar Dental College Thodupuzha, Kerala, India 4 Department of Prosthodontics, Al-Azhar Dental College Thodupuzha, Kerala, India 5 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Al-Azhar Dental College, Thodupuzha, Kerala, India 6 Department of Oral Pathology, Al-Azhar Dental College Thodupuzha, Kerala, India Corresponding Author: Renu A Mathew, Senior Lecturer Department of Pedodontics, Al-Azhar Dental College Thodupuzha, Kerala, India, e-mail: ra00mathew@gmail.com ABSTRACT Tooth surfaces with pits and fssures are particularly vulnerable to caries development. With the permanent dentition, caries involving the occlusal surfaces account for almost 60% of total caries in children and adolescents, although occlusal surfaces account for only 12.5% of total tooth surface. Dental sealants are preventive dental treatment where pit and fssure of primary or permanent molar and premolar are flled with plastic mate- rial. Fissure sealants (FSs) prevent the early intervention of dental caries before it reaches to end-stage called as cavita- tions. Mainly, the pit and fssure sealants (PFS) are to prevent developing caries, which is achieved by blocking the surface, and prevents bacteria from getting stuck to it. Keywords: Cost-effectiveness, Occlusal surfaces, Pit and fssure sealants, Preventive dentistry. How to cite this article: Mathew RA, Narayan A, Babu E, Oommen V, Ibrahim H, Fatima S. Pit and Fissure Sealants: A Recent Advancement. Int J Oral Care Res 2016;4(4):284-287. Source of support: Nil Confict of interest: None INTRODUCTION The term pit and fissure sealant (PFS) is used to describe a material, i.e., introduced into the occlusal pits and fis- sures of caries-susceptible teeth, thus forming a micro- mechanically bonded, protective layer cutting access of caries producing bacteria from their source of nutrients. 1 Buonocore’s classic study of 1955 marked the start of a major revolution in the clinical practice of dentistry. The first clinical benefit from Buonocore’s work was the introduction of the first dental PFS, Nuva-Seal (LD Caulk) in February 1971, along with its curing initiator, and ultraviolet light source, the Caulk Nuva Lite. However,