Objective:To compare the clinical effects of five filling methods on the treatment of early pit and fissure caries of permanent molars.Methods:A total of 500 teeth（dental digits）from patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into five groups（groups A

B

C

D

and E）.Group A was treated by light-curing composite resin filling.Group B was treated by light-curing composite resin filling combined with preventive pit and fissure filling.Group C was treated by light-curing composite resin filling combined with pit and fissure sealing.Group D was treated by light-curing composite resin filling combined with enameloplasty sealant technique.Group E was treated by light-curing composite resin filling combined with enameloplasty sealant technique using light-curing flowable resin.The five filling methods were used to treat early pit and fissure caries of permanent molars

and the filler retention and incidence of caries were compared between the five groups.Results:At 1 year after filling

there was no difference in the complete retention rate of filler between the five groups

the incidence of caries was2.06%

0%

1.05%

2.04%

and 1.04%

respectively

with no significant difference between the five groups.At 2 years after filling

the complete retention rates of filler in groups C and D were significantly lower than those in the other three groups（P < 0.05）; the incidence of caries was 8.51%

3.16%

4.30%

4.21%

and 3.23%

respectively

significantly higher in group A than in the other four groups（P < 0.05）.At 3 years after filling

group A had a significantly lower complete retention rate of filler than groups B and E

but a significantly higher complete retention rate of filler than groups C and D（P < 0.05）

and groups C and D had significantly lower complete retention rates than the other groups（P < 0.05）.The incidence of caries was 14.61%

3.2%

8.99%

7.78%

and 4.44%

respectively

significantly higher in group A than in the other four groups（P < 0.05）.There was no significant difference in the incidence of caries between groups C and D or between groups B and E

but groups B and E had a significantly lower incidence of caries than groups C and D（P < 0.05）.Conclusion:Light-curing composite resin filling combined with enameloplasty sealant technique using light-curing flowable resin can achieve good clinical results while grinding less hard tissues of the teeth

so it holds promise for clinical application.