The Effect of Temperature on the Flow Properties of Light-cured Pit and Fissure Sealants

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of temperature on the property of the pit and fissure sealants. The viscosity, capillary penetration rise, curing depth, and bending flexural strength were measured at different temperature of 25?C, 40?C, and 50?C respectively. In this study, six kinds of commercial light-cured pit and fissure sealants were selected; Sealant(Bisco Co., USA; BI), Clinpro(3M Co., USA; CL), Denseal(Vericom Co., Korea; DE), Fissurit F(Voco Co., Germany; FF), Helioseal(Vivadent Co., Liechtenstein; HE), and Ultraseal(Ultradent Co., USA; UL). As temperature increased, the viscosity significantly decreased for all sealants. Among the sealants tested, BI showed the highest viscosity. The other sealants were the viscosities were not different significantly. As shear rate was increased, BI, FF, HE, and UL showed a thixotropic behavior at 25?C, 40?C, and 50?C respectively, while CL and DE showed a dilatant behavior at 25t. As temperature increased, the capillary penetration rise were increased for all sealants(P0.05). According to these results, it was concluded that the effect of temperature on the viscosity and the capillary penetration of pit and fissure sealant was significant.ope