Sealant use and dental utilization in U.S. children

The use of dental sealants has remained relatively low in the U.S. in comparison with other proven oral disease preventive therapies, and particularly among black children. Dental visits have also been consistently lower among black children. This paper describes the reported use of dental sealants and dental visits in U.S. children ages 6-17 using data from the 1989 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Family income and education interact with race in explaining the use of dental sealants and dental visits. Racial differences in sealant use and dental visits are more apparent in middle and upper socioeconomic levels, than lower socioeconomic level children. Overall, 15 percent of children ages 6-17 have dental sealants and 73 percent had a dental visit in the past twelve months. More white children whose parents had higher income levels and at least one year of undergraduate education (24 percent) had sealants than similar socioeconomic status (SES) black children (11 percent). Additionally, black children whose parents had a college education (68 percent) were less likely to have dental visits during the past 12 months than white children of similar SES (86 percent). These results provide an opportunity to evaluate factors and conditions that could form a basis of targeting programs to improve behaviors, attitudes, as well as access to preventive dental services.