Effect of fissure morphology on the in vitro microleakage and penetrability of pit and fissure sealants in upper premolars

The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the effect of fissure types on the microleakage, and penetration ability of fissure sealant. The occlusal surface of ninety caries-free extracted human upper premolars were cleaned, etched and sealed with (UltraSeal XT Plus) Sealant. The sealed teeth were thermocycled then coated with two layers of nail varnish, leaving exposed a 1 mm window around the sealant margins and then immersed in 1% methylene blue for 24 hours. Each tooth was sectioned bucco-lingually and examined with a stereo microscope (40x magnification) for fissure types, microleakage, and penetration ability.