Managing Oral Health in Schools

At a glance

  • Cavities are the most common chronic disease of childhood and are preventable.
  • Dental sealant programs in schools can help prevent cavities for many years.
  • Having preventive oral health services in schools is an effective way to protect students' oral health.
A young girl smiling in dentist chair.

Why it's important

Cavities (tooth decay) are the most common chronic disease of childhood in the United States.

  • By age 8, over half of children (52%) have had a cavity in their primary (baby) teeth.
  • Children from low-income families are twice as likely to have cavities as children from higher-income families.
  • Poor oral health can have a negative effect on children’s quality of life, performance at school, and success later in life.

Addressing oral health in schools

Dental sealants‎

Dental sealants prevent cavities for many years. Children aged 6–11 without sealants have almost three times more first molar cavities than children with sealants.

School sealant programs are an effective way to reach millions of children in a school setting. Better access to school sealant programs could reduce cavities, especially for children at higher risk for poor oral health. Compared with children from higher income families, children from low-income families are more likely to:

  • Have untreated cavities.
  • Have few or no dental sealants.
  • Not have had yearly dental visits.

School sealant programs have been shown to increase the number of children who receive sealants. The programs are especially important for reaching children who:

  • Are at greater risk for developing cavities.
  • Are less likely to receive private dental care.

School sealant programs that offer oral health care to students should:

  • Use evidence-based guidelines, recommendations, and studies to create or improve the programs.
  • Support policies that allow the use of dental personnel to operate at the top of their licensure when dentists are not required to be on site, as per state or local regulations.
  • Develop referral networks with dental practitioners in the community.

Resources

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Content Source:
Division of Adolescent and School Health; National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
  • Lin M, Griffin SO, Gooch BF, et al. Oral health surveillance report: trends in dental caries and sealants, tooth retention, and edentulism, United States, 1999–2004 to 2011–2016. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services; 2019. Accessed September 5, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/publications/OHSR-2019-index.html
  • Dye BA, Xianfen L, Beltrán-Aguilar ED. Selected oral health indicators in the United States 2005–2008. NCHS Data Brief. 2012;96:1–8.
  • Kwan SY, Petersen PE, Pine CM, Borutta A. 2005. Health-promoting schools: an opportunity for oral health promotion. Bull World Health Organ. 2005;83(9):677–685.
  • Griffin SO, Wei L, Gooch BF, Weno K, Espinoza L. Vital signs: dental sealant use and untreated tooth decay among U.S. school-age children. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65(41):1141–1145.
  • Griffin SO, Barker LK, Wei L, Li H, Albuquerque MS, Gooch BF. Use of dental care and effective preventive services in preventing tooth decay among US children and adolescents—Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, United States, 2003–2009 and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 2005–2010. MMWR Suppl. 2014;63(2):54–60.