Independent analysis: efficacy of sealants used in a public health program.

PURPOSE: This short report details part of the findings of a larger, multiphasic research study considering Quality of Care (QoC) and Quality of Life (QoL) for socioeconomic and underserved rural populations accessing dental health care through a Public Health Department. Improving oral health for families that are socioeconomically disadvantaged, with cultural disparities, or lacking access to care was the goal of this project. The purpose of this project was documenting effectiveness of oral health care when dental hygienists working through local area health departments, as an alternative delivery model, provide quality educational and preventive care services. CLINICAL OUTCOMES: Over a 6 year period, 1,511 sealants were placed. Simple clinical practices using 4-handed dentistry and strict isolation techniques led to achieving a 95% or higher cumulative sealant retention rate. Dental caries was averted for 858 individuals over a 3 year period (2006 to 2009). Using a consultation-referral model, 463 individuals received restorative care. Results from this short report document clinical care practices for populations in rural communities with limited access to care while improving oral health outcomes. CONCLUSION: The clinical findings in this short report illustrate the successes of an oral health care program offered by a dental hygienist working collaboratively through a Community Public Health Department. Sealant retention, averted dental caries and restorative care provided using a consultative-referral model all illustrate clinical quality of care achieved when employing alternative care models outside the realm of traditional in office procedures.