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Improving access to preventive dental services through a school-based dental sealant program.
Journal of Dental Hygiene : JDH
|September 6, 2011
Summary
School-based dental sealant programs successfully increased access to preventive dental care, exceeding the Healthy People 2010 objective. These programs are vital for improving children's dental health by providing essential dental sealants.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Preventive Dentistry
Background:
- Access to preventive dental services like dental sealants is crucial for optimal dental health.
- Barriers to accessing these services disproportionately affect children.
- School-based programs offer a viable solution to improve access.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based dental sealant program.
- To determine if the program met the Healthy People 2010 objective for dental sealant prevalence.
- To assess the role of school-based programs in increasing sealant uptake.
Main Methods:
- A 6-year prospective study of a school-based dental sealant program in Massachusetts.
- Provided free dental sealants to second-grade children.
- Tracked sealant prevalence and compared it to the Healthy People 2010 goal of 50% sealant coverage in 8-year-olds.
Main Results:
- 1,609 dental screenings were conducted over 6 school years.
- 1,189 second-grade children received dental sealants through the program.
- The aggregate sealant prevalence reached 54%, surpassing the Healthy People 2010 objective.
Conclusions:
- The school-based dental sealant program successfully achieved the Healthy People 2010 objective.
- These programs effectively reduce barriers to preventive dental services.
- School-based initiatives significantly increase the number of children receiving dental sealants.
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