Preventing Dental Caries: Statewide or Community-Wide Sealant Promotion

Statewide or community-wide sealant promotion programs encourage sealant use among private practitioners and through community-based programs (often including school-based programs). Program activities can include:

• Continuing education courses for dental health professionals
• Educational campaigns for consumers, community leaders, and third-party payers
• Efforts to promote school-based or school-linked sealant delivery programs

Summary of Task Force Recommendations & Findings

The Community Preventive Services Task Force finds insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of statewide or community-wide programs in increasing the use of dental sealants or reducing tooth decay in communities because of limitations in study design and execution.

Task Force Finding

Results from the Systematic Reviews

Only one study was found that examined the effectiveness of statewide or community-wide programs. This study did not provide enough evidence to determine whether or not statewide or community-wide programs that promote the use of dental sealants work to prevent cavities.

These results were based on a systematic review of all available studies, conducted on behalf of the Task Force by a team of specialists in systematic review methods, and in research, practice and policy related to oral health.

Economic Review

An economic review of this intervention was not conducted because the Task Force found insufficient evidence to determine its effectiveness.

Supporting Materials

• Analytic framework [PDF - 2.52MB]- See Figure 1 on page 24
• Research gaps

Publications

Truman BI, Gooch BF, Sulemana I, et al. Reviews of evidence on interventions to prevent dental caries, oral and pharyngeal cancers, and sports-related craniofacial injuries. [PDF - 2.52MB] Am J Prev Med 2002;23(1S):21-54.

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Recommendations on selected interventions to prevent dental caries, oral and pharyngeal cancers, and sports-related craniofacial injuries. [PDF - 69KB] Am J Prev Med 2002;23(1S):16-20.

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Promoting oral health: interventions for preventing dental caries, oral and pharyngeal cancers, and sports-related craniofacial injuries: A Report on Recommendations of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services. MMWR 2001;50(RR21):1-13.

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Oral health. [PDF - 359KB] In : Zaza S, Briss PA, Harris KW, eds. The Guide to Community Preventive Services: What Works to Promote Health? Atlanta (GA): Oxford University Press;2005:304-28.

More Community Guide publications about Oral Health

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Sample Citation

The content of publications of the Guide to Community Preventive Services is in the public domain. Citation as to source, however, is appreciated. Sample citation: Guide to Community Preventive Services. Preventing dental caries: statewide or community-wide sealant promotion. www.thecommunityguide.org/oral/statewidesealants.html. Last updated: MM/DD/YYYY.

Review completed: February 2000