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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Dental Caries (Cavities): School-Based Dental Sealant Delivery Programs

About this resource:

Systematic Review

Source: The Guide to Community Preventive Services

Last Reviewed: April 2013

Workgroups: Oral Health Workgroup

The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends school-based sealant delivery programs to prevent tooth decay in children. Dental sealants are plastic materials that are placed on the back teeth to prevent tooth decay. CPSTF found that these programs increase the number of children ages 5 to 16 years who get sealants at school and that sealants result in a large reduction in tooth decay in this population. Sealant delivery programs are often intended for schools in low-income neighborhoods.

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Objectives related to this resource (2)

Increase the proportion of low-income youth who have a preventive dental visit — OH‑09
Getting worse
Increase the proportion of children and adolescents who have dental sealants on 1 or more molars — OH‑10
Getting worse

Suggested Citation

1.

Guide to Community Preventitive Services. (2013). Dental Caries (Cavities): School-Based Dental Sealant Delivery Programs. Retrieved from https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/dental-caries-cavities-school-based-dental-sealant-delivery-programs