Dental sealants in children’s teeth have increased from the early 1970s until the latest (1999-2004) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. In spite of this improvement, significant disparities remain in some population groups.
Table 1 presents sealant prevalence for children aged 6–11 years and for selected subgroups.
Prevalence
- 30% of children 6 to 11 have dental sealants.
- Younger children, Black and Hispanic children, and those living in families with lower incomes have fewer sealants
Table 1: Children, Percent with Sealants in Permanent Teeth
Characteristic | Percent of children with dental sealants |
---|---|
Age | |
6 to 8 years |
20.28 |
9 to 11 years |
40.12 |
Sex | |
Male |
28.81 |
Female |
32.42 |
Race and Ethnicity |
|
White, non-Hispanic |
36.06 |
Black, non-Hispanic |
21.26 |
Mexican American |
24.22 |
Poverty Status (Income compared to Federal Poverty Level) | |
Less than 100% |
20.94 |
100% to 199% |
23.38 |
Greater than 200% |
40.06 |
Overall |
30.48 |
Data Source: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has been an important source of information on oral health and dental care in the United States since the early 1970s. Tables 1 through 4 present the latest NHANES (collected between 1999 and 2004) data regarding dental sealants in children.
Last Reviewed
July 2018