Dental News - Sealed primary molars reduce caries risk

Dental Tribune International

Tue. 6. August 2019

save

BOSTON, U.S.: In a recent study, researchers have examined the association between light-polymerized, resin-based and fluoride-releasing sealants and the development of pit-and-fissure caries in primary molars. The findings suggest that sealed primary molars are less likely to develop pit-and-fissure caries. Therefore, the researchers recommend applying dental sealants on primary molars of children who are at high caries risk.

As part of the three-year retrospective study, researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital examined the dental records of 297 children younger than 6 years old who were at high risk of developing caries. They recorded the sealant placement or nonplacement on primary molars in outpatient clinic or operating room settings.

The data indicated that the likelihood of developing pit-and-fissure carious lesions in sealed primary molars were 0.055 and 0.013 times the odds of developing these lesions in nonsealed primary molars when sealants were placed in the outpatient clinic and the operating room, respectively. Carious molars that were sealed in both the outpatient clinic and the operating room were linked with delayed caries development.

“Our study provides scientific evidence that highlights the important role of sealants on caries prevention in primary molars,” said senior author Dr. Rosalyn Sulyanto, an instructor at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and a pediatric dentist at Boston Children’s Hospital. “These findings will guide dental treatment decisions for our pediatric patients at Boston Children’s Hospital, particularly those with early childhood caries. We hope our findings will also serve as a foundational study for the development of treatment standards in pediatric dentistry,” she concluded.

The study, titled “Sealed primary molars are less likely to develop caries,” was published online in the August 2019 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

Early preventive dental care may not reduce caries risk

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., USA: There is a recommendation for children to have a dental visit by 6 months of age, but there is insufficient evidence of improved ...

Young children face greatest risk of sequelae from primary tooth luxation

COPENHAGEN, Denmark: Traumatic dental injuries to the primary dentition, particularly luxation events such as intrusion, avulsion, lateral luxation and ...

New risk of dental caries in the US

LEIPZIG, Germany: Rural communities across the US are facing a growing oral health crisis as access to fluoridated water and dental care diminishes. This ...

Eating vegetables could reduce oral cancer risk

RUGBY, UK: In a large series of studies conducted in Italy and Switzerland, researchers have found that people who ate green vegetables were less likely to ...

Fluoride varnish in primary dentition positively affects caries prevention

COLOGNE, Germany: Whereas caries in adults and adolescents in Germany is declining, research has found that about 14 per cent of 3-year-olds in the country ...

Collaboration between healthcare professionals may help reduce caries

LIMA, Peru: In a recent study, researchers have developed an integrated intervention programme to reduce the prevalence and severity of early childhood ...

Dentist turns primary teeth black to explore caries management options

WINNIPEG, Canada: Treatment for dental cavities using silver diamine fluoride (SDF) could mean that fewer children would need to undergo complex dental ...

Plaque-identifying toothpaste may reduce risk of inflammatory diseases

MADISON, Wis., U.S.: Various studies have previously suggested that there is a link between poor oral health and the occurrence of inflammatory diseases, ...

Dental caries is primary reason for hospital admissions in the UK

LONDON, UK: It is well established that dental caries is common in children. Now, new data from the UK on hospital tooth extractions among 0–19-year-olds ...