Assess the effectiveness of school based dental sealant programs in preventing caries in children

Background Underprivileged child populations experience dental caries as a major public health matter. School-based dental sealant programs exist in widespread use to deliver protection against caries for both primary and permanent molars. The research investigates whether dental programs delivered in schools succeed in stopping new caries development in children during the school years. Materials and Methods This study involved 500 schoolchildren between 6–12 years old who attended different schools across the research area. The research sample consisted of a 250-member Intervention group that underwent first permanent molar sealant treatment while the 250-member Control group avoided undergoing the procedure. The caries incidence evaluation based on Decayed Missing Filled Teeth (DMFT) index occurred during baseline and follow-up examinations at month 12. The researchers used the chi-square test and independent t-test for performing their statistical analysis to demonstrate group differences. Results The participants in both groups displayed similar proportions of caries at the initial assessment period (p>0.05). The intervention group performed better than the control group in terms of mean DMFT score measurements after one year of study (p<0.001) where intervention group scored 1.2 ± 0.3 and control group scored 2.8 ± 0.5. Dental sealants demonstrated a high 57% rate of caries prevention for the intervention group participants. Conclusion School-based dental sealant programs serve as an effective preventative measure to lower dental cavities in children. Studies show that carrying out these preventive programs creates substantial caries prevention outcomes mainly within vulnerable population segments. It is advised to incorporate dental sealant procedures into standard school oral health programs to achieve better dental health results for children.