Sealants

November 21, 2008

Expanded Sealant Coverage Means Fewer Cavities

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.

To learn more about sealant coverage and other ways Delta Dental is on the forefront of smarter dental 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)