title: School-based dental sealant programme: report and assessment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence, distribution, and impact of dental caries are of major public-health concern in South Africa. Evidence-based oral health care recommends fissure sealant programmes as a viable preventive strategy to address the currently high dental caries rates among children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This paper reports on a school-based sealant programme carried out in a lower socio-economic community in Durban in an attempt to improve the oral health status of the sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  Caries assessment was conducted on 119 children (n=119) prior to the placement of unfilled resin-based sealants on sound permanent molar and premolar teeth using photopolymerisation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicate a high prevalence in dental caries rates, specifically on primary teeth (80%) among Grade 1 learners. An evaluation showed that in 86% of Grade 1 learners, sealants remained intact six months after placement. Ninety percent (90%) of Grade 2 learners, 99% of Grade 3 learners; 97% of Grade 4 children also showed success in fissure sealant retention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that community-based fissure sealant programmes should advantageously be directed to Grade 1 and Grade 2 learners (aged 6-7 years) to ensure early intervention, thereby preventing/delaying the onset of the caries process.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A sealant programme is an important public health intervention that should be considered in oral health policy discussions.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban, 4000. singhshen@ukzn.ac.za
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants; D015995:Prevalence; D012571:School Dentistry; D012923:Social Class; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants