The CDC has released a report detailing the benefits of dental sealants for children and urging schools to provide services for low-income children to get them.
Research showed applying sealants to children’s molars can prevent up to 80 percent of cavities on those teeth and that children without sealants get about three times more cavities on theirs, according to a CDC news release.
Currently, only 40 percent of children get sealants, which are thin, painless, and easy to apply. Low-income children are 20 percent less likely to get the sealants.
School-based sealant programs (SBSPs) for schools with a high percentage of children getting free or reduced-price lunches could reduce the incidence of cavities.
“Many children with untreated cavities will have difficulty eating, speaking and learning,” CDC Director Tom Frieden said in the press release. “School-based sealant programs are an effective way to get sealants to children.”
The CDC estimates SBSPs could save up to $300 million in dental treatment costs by applying sealants to the teeth of 7 million low-income children who don’t currently have them. The CDC is currently providing funding to 21 state public health departments to help them with SBSPs for low-income and rural school districts.
Dental sealants can stay in the mouth for up to nine years before needing to be reapplied. Sealants do become less effective over time, since they can crack and allow bacteria to grow on teeth, but still prevent 50 percent of cavities after four or more years, Fox News reported. Currently, just 43 percent of school-age children ages 6 to 11 have sealants.
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