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Sealant Recommendations Vary by Dentist Beliefs

Sealant Recommendations Vary per Dentist Beliefs The dentist, practice, and patient characteristics that impact dentists’ decisions to recommend sealants as a caries prevention measure were discussed during a March presentation at the American Association for Dental Research Annual Meeting and

Sealant Recommendations Vary by Dentist Beliefs

The dentist, practice, and patient characteristics that impact dentists’ decisions to recommend sealants as a caries-prevention measure were discussed during a March presentation at the American Association for Dental Research Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Los Angeles. Using a cross-sectional survey, 189 Japanese dentists from the Japanese Dental Practice-Based Research Network participated in the study. Each participant was presented three clinical photos of an occlusal surface of a mandibular first molar on a 12-year-old patient with high-caries risk, along with a description of the clinical case. It was found that a dentist’s belief in the effectiveness of caries risk assessment was closely associated with his or her likelihood to recommend sealants.

The survey demonstrated that 16% to 26% of participating dentists would recommend sealants for the 12-year-old patient. In the absence of dark brown pigmentation, 19% of dentists recommended sealants. Furthermore, 48% of dentists recommend sealants to more than 25% of patients between ages 6 and 18. This led the researchers to conclude that a dentist’s belief in the effectiveness of caries risk assessment was directly correlated with the decision to recommend sealants. While sealants are an effective tool in the caries-prevention armamentarium, according to the Pew Children’s Dental Campaign, they remain an underutilized technique.  

Hygiene Connection E-Newsletter

April 2016

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