The agency cites research from a new CDC Vital Signs report, which shows dental sealants to shield the back teeth could prevent up to 80 percent of cavities in school-aged children. Yet, about 60 percent of 6- to 11-year-olds in school don’t get dental sealants. And the report found low-income children were 20 percent less likely to have sealants than children from higher-income families.
One way to help overcome this challenge is to increase children’s access to school-based sealant programs, the CDC said.
According to the agency, these programs target schools with a high percentage of children eligible for free or reduced-cost meal programs. Therefore, SBSPs provide sealants to children who are at higher risk for cavities and less likely to receive preventive care.
“Many children with untreated cavities will have difficulty eating, speaking, and learning,” CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, said in a statement. “Dental sealants can be an effective and inexpensive way to prevent cavities, yet only 1 in 3 low-income children currently receive them. School-based sealant programs are an effective way to get sealants to children.”
So the CDC said it is supporting states to start or increase such programs. The agency said state officials may help increase children’s access to SBSPs in their states in various ways. These include targeting these programs to the areas of greatest need in their states, tracking the number of schools and children participating in SBSPs and implementing policies that deliver SBSPs “in the most cost-effective manner.” The CDC said states may also help connect schools with health departments, Medicaid and CHIP offices, community health centers and dental professionals in the community.
CDC currently funds 21 state public health departments to coordinate and implement school-based and school-linked sealant programs that target low-income children and those who live in rural settings.
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