Second molar sealants in US adolescents

Although dental sealants have proven effective at preventing caries, uptake may be low and few studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence of second molar sealants.

In the cross-sectional study, published in The Journal of the American Dental Association, investigators used 2011 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data to examine the factors affecting uptake of second molar sealants among 3,636 adolescent patients aged 12 to 19 years.

The investigators found that just 34.6% of the patients involved in the study had second molar sealants. A lower proportion of patients without second molar sealants had first molar sealants compared with those with second molar sealants.

Clinical and community initiatives may help boost receipt of second molar sealants in these patients. The investigators concluded that current adolescent sealant delivery programs may need to be evaluated to determine new strategies to improve uptake.

Read more: JADA

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