NIH Grant to Fund Investigation of Middle School Sealant Programs

The success of school-based dental clinics in improving vulnerable children’s oral health is supported by robust evidence. However, these clinics almost always serve elementary school-age kids. Researchers from Kennesaw State University Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology in Georgia and Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry in Richmond received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate the feasibility and potential efficacy of initiating dental sealant programs in middle schools. The theory is that low-income middle schoolers may be at risk for decay in their second molars, which tend to come in after the completion of elementary school, leaving many without dental sealants. The research will look at the costs vs benefits of initiating sealant programs at the middle-school level. Click here to read more.