Dental Sealant Facts

At a glance

Review facts and data about dental sealants in the United States.

A child's mouth being examined by health care professional.

Fast facts

  • Dental sealants are thin coatings painted on the back teeth (molars) that can prevent cavities for many years.
  • Dental sealants prevent 80% of cavities over 2 years in the back teeth, where 9 in 10 cavities occur.1
  • This effective intervention remains underused. Less than half of children and adolescents have dental sealants.2
  • Four in ten children (42%) aged 6 to 11 have dental sealants on permanent teeth.2
  • Among adolescents aged 12 to 19, 48% have dental sealants on permanent teeth.2
  • From 1999–2004 to 2011–2016, sealant use increased by about 75% among children aged 6 to 11 from low-income households, reaching 39% in 2011–2016. In comparison, sealant use was 45% among children from higher-income households in 2011–2016.2
  • School-age children (ages 6–11) without sealants have almost 3 times as many cavities in the first molars as children with sealants.3
  • Applying sealants in schools for about 7 million children from low-income families who don't have them could save up to $300 million in dental treatment costs.3
  • School sealant programs are an effective way to provide millions of children with sealants to prevent cavities.1
  • Adults aged 20 to 34 have more untreated cavities in their back teeth than any other age group. As a result, young adults may benefit from dental sealants.4
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Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; CDC Division of Oral Health
  1. Community Preventive Services Task Force. Preventing Dental Caries: School-based Dental Sealant Delivery Programs. US Department of Health and Human Services; 2016. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://www.thecommunityguide.org/media/pdf/Oral-Health-Caries-School-based-Sealants_0.pdf [PDF-579KB]
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Oral Health Surveillance Report: Trends in Dental Caries and Sealants, Tooth Retention, and Edentulism, United States, 1999–2004 to 2011–2016. US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2019. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/82756
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vital signs: dental sealant use and untreated tooth decay among US school-aged children. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65(41):1141-1145.
  4. Griffin SO, Wei L, Naavaal S, Fleming E. The contribution of different permanent tooth types to untreated caries: implications for public health surveillance and prevention. J Am Dent Assoc. 2021;152(4):269–276. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2021.01.003