A survey of private dental practitioners' utilization of dental sealants in Washington state.

The effectiveness of sealants in protecting the occlusal surfaces of teeth has been demonstrated in many clinical investigations, yet many dentists in private practice have been slow to offer sealants to their patients. The majority of dentists (80.7 percent) who responded to the survey in Washington state are currently using sealants. There appears to be a relationship between the use of sealants and the organizational structure of the practice.