Making an Impact on the Community with a School-Based Sealant Program

Florida was one of the few states given an “F” grade by the Pew Children’s Dental Health Report 2 years in a row, in part because of lack of data on children’s dental health and less than 25% of children participating in a sealant program.  A school-based sealant program was initiated through a collaborative effort between the University of Florida College of Dentistry and the United Way of North Central Florida in Alachua County, Florida in 2010, and a county-wide Third Grade Oral Health Surveillance Program was developed by the Alachua Oral Health Coalition in conjunction with the school board starting in 2011. Dental screening is conducted yearly along with other annual health screenings and influenza vaccinations at every public elementary school (23) in the county.  In the first year of the sealant program, six schools were served.  Last year, 13 schools participated in the program with over 1560 sealants placed.  Three years of data from the county-wide survey have demonstrated the impact made by the school-based sealant program on the community.  Overall, sealant prevalence among public school 3rd graders increased from 35.7% to 49.6% from 2011 to 2013.  The results have been particularly dramatic in one of the most underserved areas of the county where sealant prevalence increased from 3.7% to 81% in just 3 years.  However, decay experience and untreated decay rates have not improved over this time period, indicating the need for earlier preventive interventions for Alachua children.