title: A contemporary perspective on dental sealants.
abstract: In spite of significant improvements in the oral health of Americans, dental caries still affects a majority of school-aged children. Its distribution is uneven, with a small proportion of the children experiencing a greater burden of the disease. In addition, caries in children's permanent teeth is predominantly a disease of the pits and fissures. The use of dental sealants has the potential to significantly reduce the disease burden. Although sealants are safe and effective, their use continues to be low. Efforts are needed to make sealants a covered benefit under all insurance plans and to encourage their appropriate use. This paper provides a review of the changes in the prevalence and distribution of dental caries, the effectiveness of sealants, and guidelines for the appropriate use of sealants in public health programs and private practice.
authors.affiliation: Bureau of Dental Health, New York State Department of Health, Albany 12237-0619, USA.
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Siegal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants / Q000191:economics; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants