This module offers information about how a child’s teeth are assessed to determine whether they would benefit from dental sealant placement. It presents an overview of the dental caries disease process, emphasizing practical concepts related to dental caries prevalence, the differences between cavitated and non-cavitated lesions, detection and diagnosis, and aids for caries detection. The module also presents information about how to determine whether to seal teeth and which teeth to seal.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this module, you will be able to
- List one factor that reduces the risk for dental caries and one factor that increases the risk.
- Explain the differences between a cavitated and a non-cavitated carious lesion.
- Explain the differences between an active lesion and an arrested lesion.
- Describe the types of lesions in the pit-and-fissure surfaces that should be sealed in school-based dental sealant programs.
- Explain the objectives of caries detection and diagnosis.
- List three ways that an explorer may be used during tooth assessment.
- List two reasons that X-rays are not necessary for tooth selection in school-based dental sealant programs.
- List three things that should be considered when assessing whether dental sealants placed the previous year need repair or replacement.