Comparative Evaluation of the Clinical Performance of Two-step and One-step Self-etching Adhesive Systems and Self-etching Self-adhesive Composite in Permanent Molars in Pediatric Patients: A Three-arm Parallel Randomized Clinical Study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial
Abstract: Background: The most prevalent disease that affects people is dental caries. The illness needs to be restored after it has been cavitated. Over the past few decades, dental adhesives that are used to adhere composite resins to tooth structure have changed. Composites were created to satisfy the needs of long-lasting, esthetically pleasing restorative materials. The micromechanical interlocking between the resin and enamel's hydroxyapatite caused the bonding process. Bonding to enamel has developed into a dependable process throughout time. Bonding to dentin, on the other hand, has shown less consistency. Dental adhesive systems have changed throughout the course of multiple generations to address these issues, with modifications to their chemistry, mechanism, bottle count, application methods, and clinical efficacy. Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the clinical performance of three different adhesive strategies-two-step self-etching adhesive system (group I: Clearfil SE Bond), one-step self-etching adhesive system (group II: Xeno V), and self-etching self-adhesive composite (group III: Constic)-in the restoration of class I cavitated lesions [International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) score 5] in permanent molars of pediatric patients. Materials and methods: -value was determined. Results: All three adhesive strategies demonstrated good clinical performance after 6 months. Group III (Constic) exhibited comparable outcomes to group I (Clearfil SE Bond) and group II (Xeno V) in terms of anatomic form, retention, absence of secondary caries, marginal discoloration, and postoperative sensitivity. Group II and group III showed similar results for marginal adaptation, while group I exhibited significantly poorer marginal adaptation at the 6-month recall. Overall, group III provided effective clinical results with the added benefits of reduced chair time and improved patient comfort. Conclusion: Self-etching self-adhesive composite (Constic) showed promising clinical performance comparable to traditional adhesive systems, with the added advantages of simplified application and patient-friendly handling. These results support its use in pediatric restorative dentistry, although longer-term clinical trials are recommended to further validate its efficacy. How to cite this article: Comparative Evaluation of the Clinical Performance of Two-step and One-step Self-etching Adhesive Systems and Self-etching Self-adhesive Composite in Permanent Molars in Pediatric Patients: A Three-arm Parallel Randomized Clinical Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2026;19(4):425-432.
Authors: Tushar Pruthi, Inder K Pandit, Neeraj Gugnani, Monika Gupta, Sakshi Gaind
Language: English
Subfield: Orthodontics
Field: Dentistry
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7140178955