title: Sealants and dental caries: dentists' perspectives on evidence-based recommendations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The authors conducted a study to survey the perspectives of dentists regarding the 2010 American Dental Association (ADA) recommendation to seal non-cavitated carious lesions (NCCLs) in children and young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors mailed a questionnaire to a randomly selected sample of 2,400 general dentists (GDs) and pediatric dentists (PDs) in the United States. The sample was chosen by the ADA's Survey Center. The questionnaire included two photographs of NCCLs (permanent first molar and premolar) in a 12-year-old child. Respondents were provided with radiographic findings and asked to choose from several management options.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the absence of radiographic evidence of caries, 37.4 percent and 42.3 percent of GDs and PDs, respectively, indicated that they would seal the NCCL in the molar. For the premolar, a significantly lower percentage of GDs than of PDs indicated that they would seal the NCCL. With radiographic evidence of caries in dentin, less than 4 percent of all dentists surveyed indicated that they would seal the NCCLs, and more than 90 percent indicated that they would remove the caries and place restorations. Less than 40 percent of dentists indicated that they sealed NCCLs in their practice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The U.S. dentists surveyed have not adopted evidence-based clinical recommendations regarding the sealing of NCCLs. Practice Implications. New educational and dissemination programs should be developed regarding these evidence-based caries management approaches.
authors: Dental Public Health Sciences, Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA. marisol@dental.temple.edu
authors: Marisol
authors: M
authors: Tellez
authors: S Lauren
authors: SL
authors: Gray
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Gray
authors: Sungwoo
authors: S
authors: Lim
authors: Amid I
authors: AI
authors: Ismail
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001641:Bicuspid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003750:Dental Fissures / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D003804:Dentin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D055094:Evidence-Based Dentistry; D005260:Female; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008963:Molar / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry; D023861:Photography, Dental; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D011859:Radiography; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants