Thermocycling of Pit and Fissure Sealants

Abstract

Both sealants experience early thermocyclic failure, which is manifested as marginal breakdown or separation. From the 20 to 70% failure range (Fig 5) Nuva Seal was three times as resistant to thermocyclic stressing as was Epoxylite 9075. That is, the Nuva Seal-sealed teeth had to be cycled three times more than the Epoxylite 9075-sealed teeth to effect the same failure rates. Both Epoxylite and Nuva Seal reach the same failure rate at 7,000 cycles (75% failure rate). Extremely careful visual examination is required to detect marginal separation failures of pit and fissure sealants.