Pit and Fissure Sealant Awareness Among Parents, Teachers and Extent of its Usage Among Dental Practitioners

Abstract

Background: Pit and fissure sealants are one of the most effective preventive treatment for dental caries in children. Knowledge of prophylactic treatments like sealants among parents and teachers play major role in prevention of dental caries. Objectives: To assess the awareness of sealants among parents and teachers of the participating children and to assess the extent of sealant use among private dental practitioners. The study also assess the presence of sealants in the study population. Methodology: 949 school children aged 6-14 years were selected from 20 different schools. The children were selected using multistage sampling technique. Closed ended questionnaires were provided to all participant children parents. Similar questionnaires were also provided to the 274 teachers working in the selected schools. The responses from these questionnaires were used to assess the awareness and knowledge of parents and teachers regarding pit and fissure sealants. 120 private dental practitioners practicing in Kannur district were also provided with questionnaires to assess their knowledge and attitude regarding pit and fissure sealants and also to assess the extent of use of sealants in their practice. The results obtained from the survey was tabulated and statistically analyzed using chi square test. Results: The results showed that 2.85% of the examined children had pit and fissure sealants in their oral cavity. Out of the 857 parents only 8.63% of them reported prior knowledge about sealants. Among the 274 teachers surveyed 15.7% of teachers reported prior knowledge about sealants. Among the 120 private clinicians who participated almost 25% reported that they use dental sealants in their practice. Interpretation and conclusion: The present study revealed that the awareness of pit and fissure sealants among parents and teachers is low and the frequency of sealant use by private practitioners was also noted to be low.