FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH PARENTAL ACCEPTANCE OF DENTAL SEALANTS

Whereas a number of surveys have documented oral disease preventive behaviors and associated factors, little is known about public knowledge and beliefs about dental sealants. In this study, factors associated with the presence of sealants were studied in first and second graders residing in Columbia, SC. From a sample of 1, 119 children, 88 were found clinically to have sealants; 508 did not have, but needed them. Parents of the sealant children (n = 87) and of a random sample of the no-sealant children (n = 289) were interviewed by telephone to obtain information regarding (1) factors related to parents' inclination to obtain sealants for their children, (2) ability of the family to obtain oral disease preventive services, and (3) the influence of others in the family's decision-making efforts. Analysis of 16 factors thought to be related to sealant presence revealed that parents were more likely to obtain dental sealants for their children if dentists or their staffs recommended them, if the parents were knowledgeable about dental sealants, if the parents were more highly educated, and if the parents had dental insurance coverage. Parents were less likely to obtain dental sealants for their children if they heard about them from mass media. The latter finding is unexpected and may have been influenced by conflicting or negative opinion expresses by some dental practitioners through mass media or other channels of communication. The results of this study suggest that efforts to enhance the utilization of dental sealants should include strategies to (1) encourage dentists to promote them with their parents and the public, (2) educate potential consumers about the benefits of dental sealants, and (3) promote greater insurance coverage for oral health care, including sealants.