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Cavities are almost entirely preventable, and a new analysis of dental claims data shows that sealants and professional fluoride treatments are playing a huge role in helping kids fight tooth decay.
The data from this recent analysis supports what most dentists recommend: Regular visits to the dentist for cleanings and preventive care.
Analysts from the Data and Analysis Center (DAC) tracked dental benefits claims from nearly 500,000 enrollees within the Delta Dental system from 1998 to 2003. The claims covered children and adolescents 6 to 15 years old who, after receiving sealants, were 78% less likely to need fillings.
Children who also received up to five professional fluoride treatments during the five-year period were 87% less likely to develop cavities. When kids with sealants received more than five fluoride treatments in the five-year period, they were protected from new cavities in 93% of the cases.
"We've known for a long time that sealants are effective, but a boost of almost 16% from fluoride treatment is noteworthy," said Dr. Scott Navarro, dental director, Delta Dental of New Jersey.
Dr. Navarro added that sealants were the ninth most common dental procedure among children in 2003. That figure comes from a separate review of claims for patients in the 2- to 18-year age range. It showed that 240,847 patients submitted claims for sealants in 2003 and 1.3 million patients in the age range submitted claims for fluoride treatment.
The review also indicates that some 2.2 million kids received treatments such as fillings, extractions, crowns and pulpotomies in 2003. Pulpotomy is a treatment for deep decay that goes through the outer layers into the heart of a tooth.
"The encouraging news is that the recommended course of action is simple - brush at least twice daily, floss once each day and visit your dentist regularly," said Dr. Navarro.
The Data and Analysis Center is an investor-owned, for-profit company of dental science experts and business analysts who manage the country's most extensive claims-based dental health data warehouse. The DAC evaluates treatment outcomes based on evidence from millions of dental insurance claims submitted from every state in the nation.
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