The Impact of Recent Changes in the Epidemiology of Dental Caries on Guidelines for the Use of Dental Sealants

This paper reviews recent changes in the epidemiology of dental caries and assesses their potential impact on the diagnosis and management of the disease and the planning and operation of sealant programs. These changes, such as the decline in caries and slowing of the rate of progression of the disease, have important implications for diagnosing and treating incipient lesions, predicting caries risk, and conducting effective disease preventive programs. Traditional paradigms for restoring carious lesions are being replaced by newer strategies that emphasize disease prevention and conservation of tooth structure. The search continues for the identification of practical models for predicting caries risk at the individual level. This paper describes a method useful for targeting resources in sealant placement programs by enabling one to determine the relative effectiveness of sealing alternative tooth surfaces in the oral cavity. One guide serves as a widely adopted manual for those who use or intend to use dental sealants in caries prevention programs. This paper provides a brief review of that document, “Preventing Pit and Fissure Caries: A Guide to Sealant Use,” as well as guidelines for sealant utilization provided by the American Dental Association, and information regarding dental sealant programs under Medicaid. The final portion of the paper provides a synthesis of the epidemiology reviewed and summarizes the implications of findings for sealant programs.