Sealants Protect Teens' Teeth

“Dental sealants are plastic coatings that protect teeth from decay. In children and young adults who live in places with fluoride in the water, almost all tooth decay is found on the chewing surfaces. In non-fluoridated areas, more cavities are found in between the teeth. In Greece, the water is not fluoridated.” Greek research claims that dental sealants reduce the risk of tooth decay in teens.

During the research were involved nearly 2,500 children, considering the fact that approximately half were age 12 and the others were age 15. The main aim of the study was to know whether sealants do help to reduce tooth decay in these age groups as well as due to the results to decide whether Greece should establish a national dental sealant program for youth.

The study showed that only 8 percent had at least one sealed permanent molar, first of which usually erupt into the mouth at age 6.

When it came to the 12-year-old group, it turned out that 83 percent of past and current tooth decay was in the back teeth, taking into account the fact that “children with dental sealants did not have less decay than those without sealants”.

At the same time, in the 15-year-olds group, 87 percent of past and current tooth decay was in the back teeth, but this time sealants helped. Those who had sealants had a 24 percent decreased risk of tooth decay in comparison with those who had no. About two-thirds of all children involved in the research had cavities in the back teeth and grooves of the chewing surfaces.

At the time when in the United States, nearly 32 percent of teenagers have at least one sealed tooth.

Due to a separate survey of Greek dentists, we came to know the following stats: “59 percent did believe that sealants were helpful in preventing decay, but only 30 percent used them in their practices”. Among the answers were highlighted a few main reasons for not using sealants: “some children said they did not know how to use them, some said parents did not want to pay for them, others said that brushing and flossing were enough to prevent tooth decay.”

So the researchers came to a conclusion that “a sealant program could reduce decay in countries that now have high levels of tooth decay in children and low sealant use”.

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