The prevalence of fissure sealants in Lanarkshire, Scotland. A 3-year study.

Fissure sealant presence was recorded at baseline and annually during a 3-year, double-blind clinical caries trial which involved 3005 children aged 12-13 years at outset. At baseline, initially, 2002 sealants were noted in 431 subjects (14.3%), a figure not dissimilar to that found for Scottish 12-year-olds in the UK National Survey completed in the same year. By the fourth examination, 400 (17.3%) children had 2209 surfaces sealed. After one year, 14%, and at 3 years, 26% of baseline sealants were missing. Overall, at the last examination, 25% of baseline unsealed surfaces were carious compared to 15% of those originally sealed (P less than 0.001), although for molars, the equivalent figures were 49% and 24% (P less than 0.001). Finally, analysis showed that at baseline, as few as 15% of sealants had been placed by general dental practitioners, and this low proportion was maintained throughout the study period. While sealant placement in the Scots' age group was low, nevertheless the prevalence recorded was greater, at least by a factor of three, than has been reported elsewhere in the UK.