U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Increase the proportion of children and adolescents who have dental sealants on 1 or more molars — OH‑10 Data Methodology and Measurement

On this page:  About the National Data  |  Methodology  |  History  |  References

About the National Data

Data

Data Source:  National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), CDC/NCHS

Baseline: 37.0 percent of children and adolescents aged 3 to 19 years had received dental sealants on 1 or more of their primary and permanent molar teeth in 2013-16

Target: 42.5 percent

Numerator
Number of children and adolescents aged 3 to 19 years with a clinical confirmation of dental sealants applied to 1 or more teeth, primary or permanent teeth. (Note:primary 1st and 2nd molars ages 3 to 5, only permanent 1st molars ages 6 to 9, permanent 1st and 2nd molars ages 13 to 19.)
Denominator
Number of children and adolescents aged 3 to 19 years with primary 1st and 2nd molars or at least 1 permanent first molar present and valid sealant codes for at least 1 permanent first molar. ( Note: primary 1st and 2nd molars ages 3 to 5, only permanent 1st molars ages 6 to 9, permanent 1st and 2nd molars ages 13 to 19.)
Target-setting method
Minimal statistical significance
Target-setting method details
Minimal statistical significance, assuming the same standard error for the target as for the baseline.
Target-setting method justification
Trend data were not available for this objective. The standard error was used to calculate a target based on minimal statistical significance, assuming the same standard error for the target as for the baseline. This method was used because it was a statistically significant improvement from the baseline.

Methodology

Methodology notes

The measurement protocol described for Healthy People 2000 is still in use. A description of the clinical protocol used to confirm evidence of protective dental sealants has been published by NCHS. The teeth included in the measurement protocol for each age group differ. For ages 3 to 5, primary molars are included – due to eruption patterns, this includes 1st and 2nd primary molars For ages 6 to 9, only first permanent molars are tracked. For ages 13 to 19, both 1st and 2nd permanent molars are tracked, and to be included in the numerator sealants must be present on both a 1st molar and on a 2nd molar.

History

Comparable HP2020 objective
Modified, which includes core objectives that are continuing from Healthy People 2020 but underwent a change in measurement.
Changes between HP2020 and HP2030
This objective differs from the related Healthy People 2020 objectives in that objectives OH-12.1, OH-12.2, and OH-12.3 tracked children and adolescents aged 3 to 5 years, 6 to 9 years, and 13 to 15 years, respectively, who received dental sealants, while this objective tracks children and adolescents aged 3 to 19 years who have received dental sealants.

References

Additional resources about the objective

Vargas C, Schober S, Gift H. Operational Definitions for Year 2000 Objectives: Priority Area 13, Oral Health. Healthy People 2000 Stat Notes. 1997;(12):1-17.. (PHS) 97-1237
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/statnt/statnt12.pdf