Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the effects of three etching methods on the clinical outcomes of dental sealants in pit-and-fissure sealing. Methods: Eighty children, each with at least three fully erupted first permanent molars exhibiting deep pits and fissures, were recruited, yielding a total of 240 experimental teeth. Using a split-mouth, self-controlled design, teeth were randomly assigned to three groups: Group A (self-etching mode), Group B (etch-and-bond mode), and Group C (phosphoric acid etching mode). Follow-up evaluations were conducted at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively to assess complete sealant retention rates, incidence of pit and fissure caries, and marginal staining rates. Results: At 3 and 6 months, no statistically significant differences in complete retention rates were observed among Groups A, B, and C (P＞0.05). At 12 months, Group B demonstrated the highest complete retention rate (95.7%), while Group A had the lowest (78.7%), with a statistically significant difference (P＜0.0167). No significant differences were found between Groups A and C or Groups B and C (P＞0.0167). Throughout all follow-up periods, there were no statistically significant differences among the groups in terms of pit and fissure caries incidence or marginal staining rates (P＞0.05). Conclusion: The etch-and-bond technique achieved superior long-term sealant retention compared to the self-etch method. In clinical practice, the etch-and-bond approach is recommended to enhance the durability and caries-preventive effectiveness of pit-and-fissure sealants.

Key words: pit-and-fissure sealing, sealant retention rate, etch-and-bond, self-etch