ADA Seal Coating Specifications

The American Dental Association investigates and analyzes all professional aspects of the dental profession, including tooth sealants. According to the ADA website, sealants are essential to prohibiting the harmful expansion of tooth pits, breakages and decay in adults and children. Specifically, studies indicate that dental work of nearly one in three American children between the ages of six and 19 years have undergone sealant coating.

Numerical Grading

• A system of numerical grading helps professionals determine how sealants are tested. The grading specification outlines what measures were used during testing and alerts dentists as to the details of the testing process. Grades range from "IA" to "IV." A grade of IA---the lowest grade---indicates the sealant was tested only on one or several randomized control trials. Alternatively, a grade of IV---the highest grade, indicates that the product has received reviews from "expert committee reports" and was used in professional clinical work.

Sealant Safeguards

• Sealants do more than offer a simple protective coating to prevent cavities, according to the ADA. Sealant coating works to prohibit the formation of non-cavitated carious lesions, a rare but serious occurrence in children. A single sealant coating is designed to protect affected teeth from two to four years without recoating. Furthermore, sealants reduce the manifestation of bacteria by at least 100-fold and lowers the possibility of tooth lesions by half.

Sealant Application

• Compatible sealant agents must be used when coating teeth which have experienced previous sealant work. Compatibility protects the enamel of teeth and enhances the effectiveness of older sealant. Both self-etching and acid-etching treatments require a four-handed method for successful application. Additionally, self-bonding sealants demand a dentist to manually etch affected teeth before application to ensure the coating properly bonds.