Should Children Get Dental Sealants?

Children should receive sealants on permanent molars as soon as they erupt (about ages 6 and 12 years).  Children with unmet dental needs suffer the daily distraction of chronic toothaches, the acute and searing pain of dental abscesses, disfigured smile, dysfunctional speech, and difficulty eating.  Children with dental decay who lack access to dental care are often not brought to seek care until decay is severe.

Children are not stigmatized by being singled out during the screening and sealing process.  Children need dental sealants applied again when new molars emerge, usually around twelve years of age.  Children should get sealants on their permanent molars as soon as the teeth come in  before decay attacks the teeth.  Children who would benefit most from sealants include those with existing pits and fissures that may develop cavities or those with risk factors for cavities.  Children with sealants still should: Brush twice a day with a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste.