RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Occlusal sealants are an effective method for caries prevention, although the effectiveness of different application strategies has not been established yet. AIM: This systematic review compared the retention rate of sealants placed on occlusal surfaces following the use of self-etch adhesive systems and traditional acid etching, with or without the application of adhesive system. DESIGN: Literature searching was carried out until June 2015 in PubMed/MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials databases selecting randomized clinical trials that evaluated self-etch adhesive systems associated with pit and fissure sealants in primary or permanent molars comprising retention as outcome. From 683 potentially eligible studies, 10 were selected for full-text analysis and 5 were included in the meta-analysis. Two reviewers independently selected the studies, extracted the data, and assessed the bias risk. Pooled-effect estimates were obtained by comparing the retention failure rate between groups (self-etch systems vs acid etching with or without adhesive systems). RESULTS: Significant difference was found between groups, favoring the control group (prior acid etching) (P < 0.05), which showed lower failure rate in the retention of occlusal sealants. High heterogeneity was found on the meta-analysis. Most trials showed good evidence strength. CONCLUSIONS: Occlusal sealants applied with self-etch systems show lower retention throughout time than sealants applied in the conventional approach, regardless of the use of adhesive systems.