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Targeting dental sealants in school‐based programs: evaluation of an approach
Author(s) -
Kumar Jayanth V.,
Wadhawan Sangeeta
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
community dentistry and oral epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.061
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1600-0528
pISSN - 0301-5661
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0528.2002.300307.x
Subject(s) - medicine , sealant , dentistry , public health , family medicine , dental health , environmental health , dental care , nursing , chemistry , organic chemistry
Several guidelines have been published in the United States to promote the appropriate use of sealants in both individual care and public health programs. Targeting sealants to children and teeth at high risk for dental caries has been accepted as a desirable strategy in school‐based programs. However, there is little evidence to show that programs are complying with these guidelines. This report examined the extent to which sealants were targeted to high‐risk children at 11 different school‐based programs in New York State. Data on 3357 children ages seven to nine were analyzed. The percent of children receiving sealants ranged from 41% to 88%. While in two sites (St. Lawrence & Onondaga) fewer than 52% of the children received sealants; more than 73% received sealants in the remaining nine sites ( P < 0.05). The results suggest that there was a wide variation in the implementation of the guidelines for sealant use. Some reasons for not adhering to the guidelines were: difficulty in assuring parents and local dentists that some children were not at risk for caries; lack of confidence in the risk‐assessment method; uncertainty regarding what constitutes deep pits and fissures; fear of misclassifying children and requests by school administrators, parents and local dentists that all children should benefit from preventive measures.