Clinical Recommendations to Improve Utilization of Fissure Sealants in Primary Healthcare Centers in Bahrain.

A situation analysis among which a cross-sectional survey of dental practitioners working in primary healthcare centers found that while 127 (94.8%) out of 134 respondents consider fissure sealants effective yet, most of them have misconceptions regarding which teeth to consider carious and which to seal as only 15 (11.2%) recognized that initial carious and non-cavitated carious lesions are the same and only around half sealed either. Fissure sealants are provided for free in primary healthcare centers, but they seem underutilized as only 35 (37.6%) dentists use them very often. To address these issues and others raised by dentists and dental hygienists on the indications and the use of fissure sealants; evidence-based clinical recommendations are provided keeping in mind the high level of caries among children and adolescents in Bahrain and the services provided in primary healthcare centers. Further studies will be needed to evaluate different reasons affecting dental practitioners' knowledge and use of fissure sealants as a method of preventing and controlling caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]