A prospective study of sealant application in navy recruits.

A 3-year prospective study was designed to evaluate sealants in preventing the formation and progression of caries in a young adult military population. United States Navy dentists performed dental examinations on recruits being in-processed at the Naval Training Center, San Diego, California. Contralateral molar pairs (same arch) without caries or restorations were selected. Occlusal decalcification and lesions limited to enamel were also eligible, but teeth with proximal decalcification were disqualified. The sample consisted of 860 molar pairs in 529 Navy recruits, each contributing one or two pairs. Required annual dental examinations provided follow-up data, with results being recorded on postcards that were mailed back to the investigator. Yearly response rates were as follows: 1 year, 62.2% (483 molar pairs); 2 year, 47.8% (378 molar pairs); and 3 year, 41.4% (317 molar pairs). The response rate for pairs having at least one observation during the 3-year follow-up was 72.6% (563 molar pairs), with a caries conversion rate of 1.2% (7 teeth) on sealed teeth and 5.3% (32 teeth) on control teeth, yielding 35 discordant molar pairs on 33 recruits (30 on control teeth and 5 on sealed teeth) (p < 0.0001). These results confirm the efficacy of sealants in significantly reducing the rate caries in a young adult military population.