Most schools lack dental sealant programs

By CORTNEY ERNDT
Capital News Service
LANSING – Only 25 percent of Michigan’s high schools provide dental sealant programs to prevent tooth decay, according to a new report. A Pew Charitable Trust study said school-based sealant programs reduce tooth decay by 60 percent at one-third the cost of a filling. Tooth decay affects nearly 60 percent of children, Pew reported. Dental sealants are clear plastic coatings applied to permanent molars. Sealants typically last five to 10 years.