Performance of Preventive Methods Applied to the Occlusal Surface of Primary Teeth: A Randomized Clinical Study

Objective: To evaluate the clinical performance of three preventive materials on the occlusal surfaces of primary molars over a 36-month period. Material and Methods: The study was conducted with a split-mouth design involving four experimental groups: G1 – resin-modified glass ionomer cement (Vitremer ® ); G2 - resin sealant (Alpha Seal Light ® ); G3 - silver diamine fluoride (Cariostatic ® ); and G4 - control group without material. Thirty-two children aged 36 to 60 months, attending a pediatric clinic, with a deft index ≥ 1 and four primary second molars participated in the study. The material retention was evaluated in G1 and G2, and the presence of incipient caries was evaluated in all groups. Data were submitted to the Wilcoxon test and survival test (α = 5%). Results: At three, six, 12, 24 and 36 months, G2 exhibited greater material loss (maximum loss: 44%) in comparison to G1 (maximum loss: 35%), but this difference did not achieve statistical significance (p = 0.214). The highest incidence of incipient caries occurred in G3 (20%), but no significant differences were found between groups at any evaluation time (p = 0.154). Conclusion: There were no statistically significant differences between the evaluated products regarding material retention and dental caries, although there was more material loss in teeth that received the Alpha Seal ® sealant resin, and a greater number of carious lesions in the Cariostatic® group (silver diamine fluoride).