21 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 11 years have been reported to have cavities in their permanent teeth. The results support the need to have dental sealant treatment to protect teeth.
Key takeaways:
- Dental sealants are recommended for children when their first molars grow at between 5 and 7 years and yet again when the next set of molars grows at 11 through to 14 years.
- A study indicates that children without dental sealant treatment had cavities in 77 percent of their teeth compared to 27 percent of teeth in those with sealants.
- Resin-based sealants and glass ionomer sealants are the most common with the difference being the resin based lasts longer.
The review estimated that in a population of cavity-free children with a 40 percent chance of getting a first cavity over the next two years without sealants, application of sealants would reduce the rate to just 6 percent.
Read the full story here
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/20/upshot/defending-your-childrens-teeth-and-dentists-the-value-of-sealants.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=1
