A proposed method for assessing the quality of sealants--the CCC Sealant Evaluation System

• Published in: Community dentistry and oral epidemiology 2001-04, Vol.29 (2), p.83-91
• Main Authors: Deery, C, Fyffe, H E, Nugent, Z J, Nuttall, N M, Pitts, N B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Chi-Square Distribution; Child; Color; Dental Caries - diagnosis; Dental Caries - prevention & control; Dental Restoration Failure; Dentistry; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Humans; Observer Variation; Pit and Fissure Sealants - standards; Pit and Fissure Sealants - supply & distribution; Pit and Fissure Sealants - therapeutic use; Prospective Studies; Quality Assurance, Health Care - methods; Reproducibility of Results; Scotland
• ISSN: 0301-5661; 1600-0528
• DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0528.2001.290202.x

The aim of this paper is to introduce the C (colour) C (coverage) C (caries) Sealant Evaluation System and to present results of its use on a sample of adolescent patients in Scotland. Baseline data are presented from a 3-year prospective study in general dental practices across Scotland. Subjects were examined under standardised conditions by one trained and calibrated examiner. 78.6% of the subjects had one or more sealed teeth, over half of these sealants being judged inadequate. There was a low prevalence of dentine caries associated with the sealed teeth (2.8%). The CCC sealant Evaluation System proved practical as demonstrated by its use during the project and had substantial intra-examiner reproducibility. There was a high level of sealant provision; however, this provision may not be optimal in terms of both targeting of provision and sealant maintenance. The CCC sealant Evaluation System appeared to be a useful assessment tool for assessing sealed surfaces.