ABSTRACT
AIM: Contamination of etched enamel with saliva has been shown to result in sealant failure. Recently, a hydrophilic sealant has been introduced. In absence of documented literature, this in vitro study was undertaken to ascertain the efficacy of Embrace Wet Bond without reduction of microtensile bond strength in the different moisture contamination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 5mm block of sealant were built over prepared occlusal surface of 40 non-carious therapeutically extracted third molars which were sectioned into 1mm thick stick and tested using Zwick micro tensile tester. Obtained data were subjected to descriptive analysis, one-way ANOVA and Scheffe's post-hoc tests. RESULTS: Mean microtensile bond strength of Embrace sealant was not significantly lowered in different moisture contamination groups except Group 3 (air drying), which showed very highly significant (p<0.001) decrease in µTBS as compared to Group 1 (non-contaminated). CONCLUSION: Mean µTBS of Embrace sealant remains largely unchanged even in presence of moisture. Owing to its hydrophilic property, this sealant can be a great help in cases where maintaining isolation is difficult.
