OBJECTIVES This study investigated socio-economic factors associated with the placement of fissure sealants in a population of South African adolescents. METHOD The study participants were high school students aged 12 to layers who provided baseline data during 2005 in a tobacco-use prevention trial, and consented to oral examination (n=1103). Information was obtained using a self-administere...

Evidence-based clinical decision support (EB-CDS) tools designed for chairside use, help support the implementation of Evidence-Based Dentistry. EB-CDS tools organize available evidence and risk factors in order to facilitate clinical decision-making as well as to enhance rapid and effective transfer of knowledge to the patient at the point of care. Gingival recession, root exposure, caries, de...

PURPOSE As a national objective, 50% of US children are expected to have dental sealants on at least one permanent molar by the age of 14 years. The present study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of dental sealants among Alabama Medicaid children and to evaluate the characteristics of the sealant users and non-users so the potential barriers in meeting the year 2000/2010 sealant objecti...

During the last 2 decades of the 20th century, few national, state, or local oral health programs were able to conduct public health surveillance in a timely fashion. Under the leadership of the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors and with substantial support from the Division of Oral Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Oral Health Surveillan...

Community service-learning (CSL) in predoctoral dental education might be an effective tool for increasing sealant use by dentists--thus benefitting underserved children while facilitating students' learning of a clinical procedure in a real-life setting. This study reviewed the scientific literature on this topic in order to 1) evaluate the reasons for low sealant use among dentists, 2) consid...

Sealing occlusal pits and fissures in teeth is a common and highly effective preventive method. The main purpose of sealing the pits and fissures is to prevent plaque microflora and food debris accumulation in the fissures where saliva cannot reach and clean the debris, re-mineralise initial lesions, and buffer the acid produced by cariogenic bacteria. Resin-based sealants, as well as glass ion...