August 2008
Preventive resin restoration
R.Sathyanarayanan
This case illustrates the importance of identifying cavitated and non cavitated lesions. In the first molar, there are some areas in the fissure which is cavitated and some areas which are non cavitated and similarly in the second molar also.
This photograph shows the excavation of caries in the cavitated areas and the rest of the fissure that is not cavitated is left undisturbed.
This image shows the acid etching procedure being done for the first molar for a Preventive resin restoration, which is restoring the cavitated areas with resin composite and the non cavitated areas with pit and fissure sealants.
This image shows the restored first molar with pit and fissure sealant in the non cavitated areas and composite resin in the cavitated areas. The second molar is also etched for the same procedure.
This is the comparison of the pre and post operative images of the first and the second molars . This type of preventive resin restorations are very useful for patients in mixed dentition stage or for young permanent teeth where the cavitation may not involve the whole of the tooth and the cavitated part can be restored effectively with resin composites and the rest of the uncavitated part with pit and fissure sealants.