title: Tentative analysis of the efficiency of fissure sealant in a public program in London.
abstract: A tentative analysis was made of the efficiency of allocating resources to fissure sealing, rather than to restorative care, in a public dental program. Data for the study were taken from a 2-year clinical trial in London. The analysis is necessarily tentative because the clinical trial employed the half-mouth design, which does not represent a true-life situation. Over the 2 years of the study, it was found that sealing the population of study teeth took from 24.9% to 33.8% more time than treating the lesions which developed in the control teeth would have. Reasons are given why this finding cannot be accepted as conclusive; rather, it is presented to raise questions and to stimulate additional studies into the efficiency of preventive programs. Guidelines for such studies, which should be conducted in different populations with varying caries prevalence, are suggested.
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003764:Dental Materials; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003764:Dental Materials; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants