A 48-month survival analysis comparing sealant (Delton) with fluoride varnish (Duraphat) in 6- to 8-year-old children

The objective of this study was to compare Delton visible-light fissure sealant with Duraphat fluoride varnish in the prevention of occlusal caries in permanent first molars. A 48-month clinical trial was carried out in three groups of 6- to 8-year-old schoolchildren: a sealant group (104 children), in which Delton was used; a varnish group (112 children), in which Duraphat was used; and a control group (128 children). Sealant or varnish was applied to all sound permanent first molars, according to group. Replacement (sealant) and reapplication (varnish) was carried out every 6 months. A survival analysis was used to describe the molar failures over time in the three groups. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was built to test the influence of group on molar failure. The median survival times were 28.6 months for the control molars and more than 48 months for both sealed and varnished molars. The Cox model indicated a hazard ratio of 0.177 for the sealant vs control comparison, 0.463 for varnish vs control and 0.382 for sealant vs varnish.