Sealant use by general practitioners: a Minnesota survey.

Abstract

A 1987 random-sample mail survey on the use of sealants by general dentists in Minnesota (71 percent response, N = 375) found that almost all (95 percent) reported using sealants. Usage was predominantly for the six- to fourteen-year-old patient age-group. Frequency of use per week ranged from 1-25 (mean +/- S.D. = 3.3 +/- 3.6). More frequent use was associated positively with employing more dental hygienists, having more sources of information about sealants, having higher knowledge scores, and having more favorable opinions about sealants. While reported use of sealants is high in this state, the frequency of use and proportion of child patients receiving sealants were both relatively low.