Use of fissure sealants by dentists in private practice in Mexico City

This paper presents findings on the use of pit and fissure sealants by dentists working in private practice in Mexico City. A total of 386 dentists participated in the study. Dentists working in high, middle, and low socioeconomic areas of the city were personally interviewed and their patients' records of the last 5 working days were reviewed. 45% of the dentists indicated that they used sealants and 10% used them during the 5 days studied. A greater proportion of recent dental graduates used sealants compared with older graduates. The dentists who utilized sealants were more likely to apply fluoride treatments in their practice than dentists who did not utilize sealants. The proportion of sealants in relation to all treatments provided was low (0.8%), and even lower in the low socioeconomic areas (0.02%). Considering the high dental caries experience of Mexican children, the use of dental sealants should be promoted by Mexico City dentists. In addition, school-based sealant programmes should be established, particularly in low socioeconomic areas.