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School-Based Dental Sealant ProgramsIntroductionSealants prevent tooth decay and also stop cavities from growing. The Surgeon General’s report on oral health indicates that sealants can reduce decay in school children by more than 70 percent. On this page:
What Are Dental Sealants?Sealants are thin plastic coatings applied to the tiny grooves on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. This is where most tooth decay in children and teens occurs. Sealants protect the chewing surfaces from decay by keeping germs and pieces of food out. Learn more about sealants, including how they help prevent tooth decay and how they are applied, from this Dental Sealants Fact Sheet. What Are School-Based Sealant Programs?School-based dental sealant delivery programs provide sealants to children unlikely to receive them otherwise. Such programs—
School-based sealant programs are especially important for reaching children from low-income families who are less likely to receive private dental care. Programs generally target schools by using the percentage of children eligible for federal free or reduced-cost lunch programs Tooth decay may result in pain and other problems that affect learning in school-age children. Learn more by reading Oral Health and Learning* (PDF–81K). This report addresses the following:
The Scientific Evidence Shows that School-Based Sealant Programs WorkFindings from scientific studies clearly show that school dental sealant programs work to stop tooth decay. The Task Force on Community Preventive Services recommends school sealant programs and issued a strong endorsement* in 2001. In 2003, the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors published a Best Practice Approach Report.* This report reviews the scientific evidence that school sealant programs work and presents specific examples of practices in state programs. CDC-Sponsored Expert Work Group Publishes Updated Recommendations for School-Based Sealant Programs“Preventing Dental Caries Through School-Based Sealant Programs: Updated Recommendations and Review of Evidence,”* Journal of the American Dental Association, November 2009, provides guidance to school-based sealant programs. The recommendations were developed by a work group of experts in the fields of caries prevention and treatment, oral epidemiology, and evidence-based reviews. The work group also included representatives from professional dental organizations. The expert work group examined new evidence on:
Based on this evidence, the following recommendations are provided for practitioners in school-based programs:
These recommendations are designed to guide practices of state and community public health programs for planning, implementing, and evaluating school-based sealant programs, as well as to complement the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs’ evidence-based clinical recommendations for sealant use* published in 2008. Several other publications provide more detail about the studies that were conducted by work group members. The published studies are provided below.
Additional Resources
One or more documents on this Web page is available in Portable Document Format (PDF). You will need Acrobat Reader to view and print these documents. * Links to non-Federal organizations are
provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an
endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none
should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual
organization Web pages found at this link. Page last reviewed: November 21, 2011 |
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