The effect of the Er: YAG laser on the clinical success of hydrophilic fissure sealant: a randomized clinical trial

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the Er:YAG laser on the clinical success of a hydrophilic fissure sealant over 12 months. Subject and Methods: This study was conducted on 132 permanent first molars from 44 (19 girls and 25 boys) patients aged 7-11 years. The teeth were divided into three groups. The first group (Group A-control) of teeth were etched with phosphoric acid, the second group of teeth (Group L) were etched with an Er:YAG laser, and the third group of teeth (Group A+L) were etched with both the Er:YAG laser and phosphoric acid. Clinical evaluations were performed at baseline and at 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-month follow-up visits. The data were analyzed with Pearson chi-square tests, Cochran Q tests and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: At the end of the 12 months, total retention rates were 72.7%, 59.1%, and 65.9% in the acid group, the laser group and the laser and acid group, respectively. Although there was no statistically significant difference between group retention rates (p 0.05), the lowest retention rate was found in the laser group at the end of the 12-month follow-up period. No new caries were observed in any group during the study period. Conclusion: Etching with the Er:YAG laser, phosphoric acid or a combination of both methods provided similar results for the clinical success of hydrophilic based fissure sealant.