WHAT ARE SEALANTS?
Sealants are a thin liquid plastic
coating that, if applied correctly can prevent 100% of tooth decay.
GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEALANTS!
Dental HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 19, 1997 -- The Pennsylvania Dental Association
(PDA) reports that an article published in February's Journal of the American
Dental Association (JADA) concluded that dental sealants are highly effective
in the prevention of tooth decay on the chewing surfaces of teeth.
The JADA report, published in February to coincide with National Children's
Dental Health Month, and co-authored by two ADA Councils -- Scientific Affairs
and Access and Prevention and Interprofessional Relations -- found that: 92
to 96 percent of all dental sealants placed on the chewing surfaces of teeth
were present a year later.
As much as 82 percent is retained after five years.
Dental sealants that are applied to the teeth using appropriate
techniques are virtually 100 percent effective in preventing tooth decay.
Who are the likely beneficiaries of dental sealants?
Patients who are at moderate or high risk for tooth
decay
Patients who have cavities limited to the enamel of the pits and fissures of
the teeth
Patients who have existing pits and fissures that are susceptible to decay
Patients who have sufficiently erupted permanent teeth with susceptible pits
and fissures.
Not only do dental sealants prevent tooth decay from
emerging, they also can halt existing decay in its earliest stages.
Sealants disrupt the development of cavities by shutting off two essential elements
decay needs:
oxygen
bacteria from food.
While the effectiveness of dental sealants is unquestionable,
unfortunately, the percentage of school-aged children who have them has historically
been low.
A study from the March 1996 JADA reported that less than 20 percent of the nation's
school-aged children have dental sealants on their permanent molars. The results
of this study showed that more than 50 percent of the children had no cavities,
and the use of sealants was cited as a major factor in the declining number
of cavities.
For a free copy of a brochure titled "Facts About Sealants," send
a self- addressed, stamped envelope to the Department of Communications, Pennsylvania
Dental Association, P.O. Box 3341, Harrisburg, PA 17105.