Introduction: Silver has long been recognized for its antimicrobial effect on a wide spectrum of microorganisms. Consequently, silver nanoparticles became among the most common therapeutic nanoparticles under research in the field of caries prevention. Pit-and-fissure sealants are among the major components in the field of caries prevention which could have an additional antibacterial benefit through silver nanoparticles addition.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate, in-vitro, the marginal seal of silver nanoparticle-added pits and fissure sealant in comparison to the conventional sealant in permanent teeth.
Materials and methods: Thirty sound premolar teeth extracted for orthodontic purposes were randomly assigned into two main groups; Group I (n=15) for silver nanoparticle-added Clinpro^TM sealant and Group II (n=15) for the conventional Clinpro^TM sealant. Silver nanoparticle-added sealant was prepared by mixing the contents of one syringe of Clinpro^TM sealant to silver nanopowder of particle size 50-80nm at a concentration of 6.25μg/ml. For microleakage testing, after sealant application and thermocycling for 500 thermal cycles, the sealed teeth was immersed into 1% methylene blue solution for 24h, sectioned longitudinally in a bucco-lingual direction and then examined under stereomicroscope for dye penetration assessment at x60 magnification.
Results: Using Mann Whitney U test there was no statistically significant difference in microleakage between both groups (P= 0.325)
Conclusion: Addition of silver nanoparticles to pit-and-fissure sealant did not affect its sealing ability.