Dental Sealants

This fact sheet provides information about Arizona's school-based dental sealant program during the 2023–2024 school year. Information is included on the number of schools served, children screened, children who received dental sealants, and children who received fluoride varnish. Also included is information about the percentage of children in the program who were referred for treatment and who had urgent oral health care needs. National and state percentages of children in third grade with tooth decay experience, with untreated tooth decay, and who needed dental sealants are provided, along with information about the number of school hours missed per year due to oral-health-related issues.

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This manual provides policies and procedures for Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile (SAS) grantees, with the goal of helping them administer programs and ensure consistency across programs. The purpose of SAS is to improve the oral health of Wisconsin children through school-based dental sealant programs. Topics include administrative and regulatory guidelines; program requirements; forms, reporting, and recording; and budget and funding information.

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This training is designed to ensure that school-based dental sealant program staff have a thorough understanding of the history, operations, and underlying fundamentals of these programs. The training provides detailed guidelines for infection control in school-based programs; discusses tooth selection and assessment for dental sealants; reviews the dental-sealant-application process; and provides information about program operations. Post-tests are available with options for a completion certificate or for two continuing education credits for dentists and dental hygienists licensed in Ohio. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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This manual is designed to assist professionals in planning, launching, implementing, and sustaining school-based dental sealant programs. This edition pairs the manual with a training that further prepares professionals to plan and operate programs. In addition to offering a step-wise approach for planning and implementing school-based dental sealant programs, the Seal America manual addresses issues related to referring students with unmet oral health needs to a dental clinic or office. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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• Seal In A Smile Video

This manual provides professional recommendations and states’ expectations for school-based dental sealant programs (SBSPs) under the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). Contents include local program operations, regulatory compliance, compliance with ODH policies, SBSP eligibility, sample program forms, site assessment, infection control, clinical materials and methods, quality assurance, performance benchmarks and standards, reporting, ODH program reviews, compliance with other ODH requirements, Medicaid billing and collection, reimbursement, and filing claims. The appendices contain sample forms, records, letters, and other practice-related materials.

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This fact sheet for health professionals provides information about the use of dental sealants to prevent tooth decay. It includes information about the advantages of sealants, whether certain types of sealants are more effective than others, cost savings from sealant application, practice standards for sealant application, and the efficacy of sealants.

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This report offers information about school dental sealant programs, including school-based, school-linked, and hybrid programs. It includes background information; a rationale for sealant programs; guidelines, recommendations, and evidence reviews to support the establishment of school-based programs; considerations to take into account when implementing school-based programs; and state practice examples illustrating strategies and interventions for school-based programs. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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This resource guide provides an overview of the use and application of dental sealants. The first section features descriptions of and links to materials on policy, professional education, tools, training, public education, and state and local programs. The second section lists federal agencies, national professional associations, and resource centers that may serve as resources. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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This training about standardizing the process of selecting teeth for dental sealant placement is geared toward oral health professionals. It comprises a PowerPoint presentation and pre- and post-tests. The training reviews evidence-based guidance for sealant use, addresses questions, and presents findings and recommendations. Examples of sound, cavitated, and noncavitated lesions on tooth surfaces and discussions about whether to select teeth for sealants are included.

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This review evaluates the relative effectiveness of dental sealants compared with fluoride varnishes (FVs) or sealants together with FVs compared with FVs alone for preventing dental caries in the occlusal surfaces of permanent teeth of children and adolescents. The review is an update of one first published in 2006 and last updated in 2010. It provides background, objectives, methods, results, and a discussion.

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