Pit and fissure sealants applied after permanent molars emerge
Pit and fissure sealants essentially coat the grooves on the chewing surface of molars with a thin layer of resin, sealing them so food particles can’t get trapped. After 24 months, the likelihood of cavities drops dramatically compared to untreated teeth. For instance, if 16% of untreated children develop cavities on their molars, only about 5.2% of children with sealants do; when the untreated rate is 40%, the sealed group stays at roughly 6.25%. Overall, sealants cut cavity rates by 11% to 51% after two years, and this protective effect persists for up to four years.
Each application costs just a few dozen to 100–200 yuan. N…
This conclusion comes from 38 separate trials involving 7,924 children aged 5 to 16, all vetted and pooled by…
Each application costs just a few dozen to 100–200 yuan. No anesthesia is needed, no drilling of the tooth, and the whole procedure takes only a few minutes. In many regions, eligible children can receive this service for free.
This conclusion comes from 38 separate trials involving 7,924 children aged 5 to 16, all vetted and pooled by Cochrane reviewers. The studies compared resin-based sealants with no treatment at all. For first permanent molars in kids aged 5 to 10, the odds ratio of developing cavities after 24 months was 0.12 (95% CI 0.08–0.19), meaning sealants reduce cavity risk to roughly one-eighth of the untreated level. This result is based on seven trials with 1,548 participants randomly assigned to groups; 1,322 of them completed follow-up assessments, yielding moderate-quality evidence. If 16% of untreated children develop cavities within two years, the sealed group’s rate drops to 5.2% (95% CI 3.13%–7.37%); at a 40% untreated baseline, sealants keep the rate at 6.25% (3.84%–9.63%); and when untreated rates reach 70%, sealants still limit cavities to 19% (12.3%–27.2%). After 48 to 54 months, the odds ratio remains low at 0.21 (0.16–0.28), indicating a fivefold reduction in risk. No adverse events were reported across four trials that monitored side effects; however, there isn’t enough evidence to determine whether resin sealants outperform other types such as glass ionomer.
Ahovuo-Saloranta A, et al. (2017). Pit and fissure sealants for preventing dental decay in permanent teeth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD001830.pub5
Open source linkThe first permanent molars—the large teeth that never get replaced—typically appear around age 6, with the second set emerging near age 12. Sealants should be applied as soon as these molars emerge and before any decay sets in; once cavities are already present, restoration is the only option. Many regions now offer free pit and fissure sealant programs for eligible children, so it’s worth checking with the local Chinese CDC or community health centers. Because no nationwide guidelines explicitly detail eligibility criteria or age ranges, this section does not list them. Preventing dental caries remains a key focus of school health screenings, as discussed in Section 7.