With the right tools, cavities (caries) are almost entirely preventable. Yet, caries remain the single most common chronic childhood disease – five times more common than asthma. As one tool in the fight against caries, dental sealants are very cost-effective.

Sealants work! Applied by a dentist or dental staff, sealants fill the grooves and pits of teeth, usually without drilling. Sealants have been shown to reduce the need for fillings by about 72 percent. Considering the lifetime cost of a single cavity is more than $2,000 (fillings need to be replaced on a regular basis, and often ultimately result in the placement of a crown), protecting teeth with sealants is a good investment.

Delta Dental recommends covering sealants for primary or permanent molars for patients 6-18 years of age, and carrying that coverage under the diagnostic and preventive category of the group’s dental plan. The cost impact is a 0.5% increase vs. current standard coverage.

The recommendation for sealant coverage is part of the emerging science of evidence-based dentistry, or EBD. EBD is a set of principles and methods intended to ensure to the greatest extent possible, clinical decisions, guidelines and other types of policies are based on and consistent with good evidence of effectiveness and benefit. To learn more about EBD and other ways Delta Dental is on the forefront of evidence-based plan designs, call your insurance agent, or contact our sales department at 800-236-3713. Get the full story on the benefits of expanded sealant coverage by downloading a copy of our white paper.

Expanded sealant coverage means fewer cavities for all (pdf)