Dental Sealants Prevent Cavities

Dental cavities are one of the most common chronic conditions among children and teens. Left untreated, cavities can cause pain and infection and problems in eating, speaking, and learning. A new CDC Vital Signs report reveals that, even though dental sealants are an extremely effective intervention for preventing most of the cavities children get in their permanent back teeth, the majority of children still don’t have them. Children from low-income families, who are at increased risk for cavities, are less likely than children from higher-income families to have dental sealants.

Additional findings of the report include

• The disparity in sealant prevalence between low- and higher-income children decreased. The number of low-income children with sealants increased by about 70% in the last decade. This increase prevented almost 1 million cavities.
• Providing dental sealants through school-based programs to the nearly 7 million low-income children who don’t have them could save up to $300 million in dental treatment costs.

State officials play an important role in increasing children’s access to school-based dental sealant programs (SPSP) in their states. Officials can

• Target school-based sealant programs to the areas of greatest need in their state. They can track the number of schools and children participating in SBSPs.
• Implement policies that deliver SBSPs in the most cost-effective manner.
• Connect schools with health departments, Medicaid offices, community health centers, and dental professionals and organizations.

For more information about the benefits of dental sealants and the effectiveness of school-based sealant programs, visit CDC’s Oral Health and School-Based Dental Sealant Programs sites, as well as the Community Guide recommendations regarding how school-based sealant programs prevent cavities and save money.