Effect of surface pretreatment on the shear bond strength of glass ionomer-based and giomer fissure sealants: an in vitro study

Background: While phosphoric acid etching is standard for resin-based sealants, its effect on glass ionomer and giomer sealants remains less explored. This in vitro study evaluated the shear bond strength (SBS) of various fissure sealant materials applied to bovine enamel using different surface conditioning methods (phosphoric acid, conditioner, or no pretreatment). Methods: 100 bovine incisors were prepared and divided into four material groups: Fuji TRIAGE® (FT; n = 30), Riva Protect® (RP; n = 30), BeautiSealant® (BT; n = 30), and Helioseal F Plus® (HF; control, n = 10). Specimens were assigned to subgroups based on pretreatment: 37% phosphoric acid, material-specific conditioner, or no pretreatment. SBS testing was performed according to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 29022 standards. Bonding failure types were classified according to the Adhesive Remnant Index under 25× magnification using a ZEISS OPMI® pico S100 microscope. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-squared, and Bonferroni tests (p < 0.05). Results: Significant differences were observed (p < 0.001). The control group (HF) demonstrated the highest SBS (15.21 ± 1.15 MPa). Among the alternative materials, BT pretreated with phosphoric acid (13.18 ± 2.96 MPa) showed significantly higher SBS than with a self-etching primer (10.23 ± 1.85 MPa). Furthermore, the BT exhibited significantly higher bond strength values than both glass ionomer-based sealants (FT and RP) across all conditioning protocols. Adhesive failures were predominant in groups with lower bond strengths. Conclusions: Resin-based fissure sealant applied with phosphoric acid etching demonstrated the highest SBS values among all tested groups. However, the giomer-based sealant exhibited superior bonding performance compared with the glass ionomer-based sealants. Additionally, phosphoric acid etching significantly enhanced the adhesion of the giomer material, suggesting that surface conditioning plays a crucial role in maximizing the retention of bioactive sealants.

Fissure sealants; Shear bond strength; Giomer; Glass ionomer; Phosphoric acid etch; Pretreatment methods

[1] Zhai L, Kong J, Zhao C, Xu Y, Sang X, Zhu W, et al. Global trends and challenges in childhood caries: a 20-year bibliometric review. Translational Pediatrics. 2025; 14: 139–152.

[2] Wen PYF, Chen MX, Zhong YJ, Dong QQ, Wong HM. Global burden and inequality of dental caries, 1990 to 2019. Journal of Dental Research. 2022; 101: 392–399.

[3] Rajkumari L, Verma RK, Rajmohan M, Thakkar R, Menon I, Kumar S. Clinical evaluation of the retention of four different pit and fissure sealants on the first permanent molars—an original research. Journal of Pharmacy & Bioallied Sciences. 2024; 16: S250–S253.

[4] Amend S, Boutsiouki C, Winter J, Kloukos D, Frankenberger R, Krämer N. Clinical effectiveness of pit and fissure sealants in primary and permanent teeth of children and adolescents: an umbrella review. European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry. 2024; 25: 289–315.

[5] Prabakar J, Jeevanandan G, Kengadaran S. In vitro evaluation of viscosity, depth of penetration, microleakage, and shear bond strength of conventional and hydrophilic sealants. International Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry. 2023; 16: 745–750.

[6] Li N, Nikaido T, Alireza S, Takagaki T, Chen JH, Tagami J. Phosphoric acid-etching promotes bond strength and formation of acid-base resistant zone on enamel. Operative Dentistry. 2013; 38: 82–90.

[7] Rao LN, Sarkar S, Shetty A, Shetty H, Shetty S, Mohamed RN, et al. A comparative study of polydopamine vs. glass ionomer cement for adhesion mechanisms on enamel and dentin using SEM and shear bond strength evaluation. Scientific Reports. 2025; 15: 2243.

[8] Suzuki M, Yamada A, Saito K, Hino R, Sugawara Y, Ono M, et al. Application of a tooth-surface coating material containing pre-reacted glass-ionomer fillers for caries prevention. Pediatric Dental Journal. 2015; 25: 72–78.

[9] Ogawa Y, Sayed M, Hiraishi N, Al-Haj Husain N, Tagami J, Özcan M, et al. Effect of surface pre-reacted glass ionomer containing dental sealant on the inhibition of enamel demineralization. Journal of Functional Biomaterials. 2022; 13: 189.

[10] Meller C, Reichenmiller K, Schwahn C, Samietz S, Blunck U. Resin-based pit-and-fissure sealants: microleakage reduction and infiltration enhancement using a bonding agent. The Journal of Adhesive Dentistry. 2015; 17: 59–65.

[11] Markovic D, Peric T, Petrovic B. Glass-ionomer fissure sealants: clinical observations up to 13 years. Journal of Dentistry. 2018; 79: 85–89.

[12] Ng TC, Chu CH, Yu OY. A concise review of dental sealants in caries management. Frontiers in Oral Health. 2023; 4: 1180405.

[13] Yapar MI, Bayındır YZ. Investigation of shear bond strength of composite resin and glass ionomer cement to dentin with different roughening methods. Acta Odontologica Turcica. 2026; 43: 17–24.

[14] Di Nicoló R, Shintome LK, Myaki SI, Nagayassu MP. Bond strength of resin modified glass ionomer cement to primary dentin after cutting with different bur types and dentin conditioning. Journal of Applied Oral Science. 2007; 15: 459–464.

[15] Zavare D, Merrikh M, Akbari H. Comparison of the shear bond strength in giomer and resin-modified glass ionomer in class V lesions. Heliyon. 2023; 9: e14105.

[16] Miranda C, Prates LHM, Vieira R de S, Calvo MCM. Shear bond strength of different adhesive systems to primary dentin and enamel. Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry. 2006; 31: 35–40.

[17] Kaur N, Srivastava N, Rana V, Kaushik N, Pruthi T, Sirohi A. Retention of resin-based versus glass ionomer pit and fissure sealants in permanent molars: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Journal of Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry. 2025; 43: 457–467.

[18] Abozaid D, Elwakeel E, Mohamed MA, Bahnsawy MA, Eldebawy M, Elraggal A, et al. Effects of propolis-modified glass ionomer cement on antimicrobial activity and physico-mechanical properties: a systematic review. Odontology. 2026; 114: 468–493.

[19] Poggio C, Beltrami R, Scribante A, Colombo M, Lombardini M. Effects of dentin surface treatments on shear bond strength of glass-ionomer cements. Annali di Stomatologia. 2014; 5: 15–22.

[20] Sidhu SK, Nicholson JW. A review of glass-ionomer cements for clinical dentistry. Journal of Functional Biomaterials. 2016; 7: 16.

[21] Reynolds IR. A review of direct orthodontic bonding. British Journal of Orthodontics. 1975; 2: 171–178.

[22] Prabhakar AR, Balehosur DV, Basappa N. Comparative evaluation of shear bond strength and fluoride release of conventional glass ionomer with 1% ethanolic extract of propolis incorporated glass ionomer cement—in vitro study. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. 2016; 10: ZC88–ZC91.

[23] Gunasekaran R, Sharmin D, Baghkomeh PN, Jaganathan G, Ravindran V. Comparative evaluation of wear strength and compressive strength of two pit and fissure sealants with a nanofilled resin coating: an in vitro study. International Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry. 2024; 17: 31–35.

[24] Franchini Pan Martinez L, Ferraz NKL, Lannes ACNL, Rodrigues MC, De Carvalho MF, Zina LG, et al. Can bovine tooth replace human tooth in laboratory studies? A systematic review. Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology. 2023; 37: 1279–1298.