I’ve been a hygienist since 2007 and I have placed A LOT of sealants (80% of our practice is pedo). Over those years, I have tried numerous brands, some great, some awful, and from that experience I have concluded that the following brands are the top three IMO.
3rd Place – 3M ESPE Clinpro Sealant
– Very thin (almost watery), so it’s easy to get the sealant material into the pits and grooves, but sometimes because of this, gravity can work against it, which can make the material pool a little, but not a big deal.
– The very thin tip also makes it easier to place the material.
– Because it is an unfilled resin (which is why it’s thin) checking occlusion is not crucial. The material will wear down naturally and remain where it’s needed, in the pits and grooves.
– Turns from pink to white when cured. Pink color helps with placement. Many hygienists like this feature, but because I have 4.5x loupes I don’t personally need it.
– Margins are good
– Retention is good
2nd Place – Pulpdent Embrace Sealant
– Wet bond technology, so it’s more forgiving in less than ideal conditions.
– Significantly thicker than Clinpro because it is a filled resin.
– Pretty easy to place the sealant material. I use a micro brush for this (FYI, I use a micro brush with all brands)
– Margins are very good
– Retention is very good
1st Place – Ultradent UltraSeal XT hydro
– Like Embrace, this also uses a wet bond technology
– This is also a filled resin, but even thicker than Embrace
– Very easy to place sealant material. It moves around very nicely.
– Margins are excellent
– Retention is excellent
– I love this brand!
You can use this spiral brush tip with the Ultradent brand, but personally, I’m not a fan of it. I prefer using the regular tip to dispense the material and then using a micro brush to move it around.
Manufacturer Links
Clinpro
Embrace
Ultradent
Mark Frias, RDH
Good info to be aware of! Thanks again Mark! The Dr does all our sealants and six hands them. I am happy with this arrangement.
Experience speaks louder to me than marketing.
Thanks for the info…good to know.
Hey mark!
Thanks for all your blogs.
While I usually always agree with you, this sealants blog is the first I do not. Which is ok, because as a professional I gather you embrace feedback.
I was a lover of ultradents sealant as well, it was my number one, but now I have to say my number one is VOCO. Hopefully you have been able to try their two sealants before your tests and if not please reach out and I’m sure they send you some! In the long run, their grandio sealant holds up the longest! Their other sealant is clear and while it has less fillers, it can be used under caries detection devices and is great for adults!
Let me know what you think!
Hi Elicia,
I welcome disagreements : ). I have never tried that brand, but I will. Maybe I’ll have a head to head comparison in the future. Thanks for the info.
Mark
Mark!!! I’m so excited 🙂
All day today I thought about my “disagreement” on your blog, when I truly love everything you post…hence my subscription, which I have to really attribute to a dentist; Spencer. Anyhow, you are very informative to us (DH) and when I read this one, my first thought was “me too, until” so I just wanted to share!!! Happy sealing Mark!
Thanks for your blog ?