ABSTRACT
Statement of Problem: Pit and fissure sealant therapy has been approved as an effective measure in the prevention of occlusal dental caries. Resin based ma- terials are the most common materials used worldwide. A variety of resin based fissure sealants are produced and used. Most of them have been presented with ideal results in research environment. However, their effectiveness in the real life, especially in a mass application program such as Iran's oral health reform plan is not clear
Objectives: To evaluate the longevity of different fissure sealant applied in Iran's oral health reform plan in Fars Province [south of Iran] after one year
Materials and Methods: Seven counties were selected. One hundred 6- to 8-year-old school children who had undergone fissure sealant therapy in spring 2015 were randomly selected from each county. Their first molars were exam-ined to evaluate the status of the fissure sealants which were applied one year ago. Data on the type/brand of fissure sealant materials, type and experience of clinicians who applied them, existence of a chair-side assistant, and whether the children were caries-free at the time of fissure sealant application were collected from the existing reports
Results: Data of 1974 teeth from 598 children were used for the final analysis. The effects of type/brand of the material was significant on the final results and remained significant [p < 0.001] after adjustments for the level of fluoride, urban/rural area, upper/lower jaw, type of clinician who applied the sealant, existence of a chair-side assistant, and child's gender, age, and being caries-free
Conclusions: Many factors affect the success rate of a fissure sealant therapy program. The type/brand of the material remained significantly related to the success rate of the fissure sealant even after adjustments for other influencing factors. In this study, ClinproTM Sealant [3M/ESPE, USA] showed better longevity after one year of application
ABSTRACT
A polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay with primers from "hpd" gene was compared with culture for the detection of Haemophilus influenza type b [Hib] in CSF samples from children suspected of meningitis.300 cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] samples from suspected meningitis cases were studied by culture [Leventhal and Chocolate Agar] and PCR.The latter method could detect Hib in all 5 culture positive and in 2 of 295 culture negative cases, showing sensitivity, specificity, and an accuracy index of 100%, 99% and 99%, respectively. The PCR result was available within a day.This study has shown that PCR is a rapid, sensitive, and specific diagnostic test for Hib from CSF samples. Furthermore, to maximize management of meningitis cases to reduce the morbidity, mortality, and complications of invasive Hib infection a combination of culture and PCR is necessary for the detection of Hib infection. The incidence of Hib meningitis among children in Children's Medical Center in Tehran based on culture and PCR results were 2.4% and 1.7% respectively. Based on culture results, Hib causes 15.6% of all cases of bacterial meningitis in children