Dental sealant knowledge, opinion, values and practice of Spanish dentists

New dental graduates transition into UK professional practice; a longitudinal study of changes in perceptions and behaviours through the lens of evidence-based dentistry

BACKGROUND

This longitudinal study using qualitative methodology aims to investigate the perceptions, and implementation, of evidence-based guidelines into practice among new dental graduates (NDGs) during their transition from university into professional practice, by identifying factors that influence the adoption of evidence-based practice (EBP) in dental practice.

METHODS

The study invited NDGs from one UK dental school (N = 66) and employed longitudinal, multiple qualitative methodologies for data collection, throughout the participants' Vocational Dental Training (VDT) year. Initial interviews (Interview 1) conducted upon graduation and follow-up interviews (Interview 2) carried out between six and nine months into professional practice were combined with participants longitudinal audio diaries (LADs) recorded between the interviews.

THE STUDY

RESULTS

A total of 12 NDGs agreed to participate. For Interview 1, twelve participants were interviewed, seven of whom agreed to participate in Interview 2 and six recorded the LADs. Interview 1 exposed diverse views among NDGs about EBP, acknowledging its significance but facing obstacles in implementation due to time and financial constraints. They intended to use evidence selectively, often aligning with trainers' or NHS treatment options, while hesitating to fully embrace EBP in a busy dental practice. During VDT, LAD entries showed initial enthusiasm for EBP, but integrating evidence-based guidelines within the NHS system led to pragmatic treatment decisions, balancing gold-standard and cost-effective options. Over time, NDGs became more comfortable with alternative treatments, considering patients' financial constraints, yet they expressed frustration with external pressures limiting their clinical decision-making autonomy. In Interview 2, after six to nine months in practice, NDGs exhibited mixed attitudes towards EBP. Some actively used dental guidelines like SDCEP, others associated EBP with hi-tech or expensive materials, while others would thought to rely on colleagues' recommendations. None consistently sought direct evidence for treatment decisions.

CONCLUSION

NDGs' attitudes towards EBP changed and became more negative over their first year in professional practice, leading to challenges in their applying it. It questions the assumption that teaching EBP during undergraduate education ensures its implementation. Further understanding the influences on the development of attitudinal challenges will help to devise effective strategies for fostering lifelong learning and supporting evidence-based practice in dentistry.

Comparison of Two Types of Pit and Fissure Sealants in Reducing the Incidence of Dental Caries Using a Split-Mouth Design

Objectives

To evaluate the effectiveness of two pit and fissure sealants (PFS) in reducing the incidence of dental caries in schoolchildren.

Material and Methods

A randomized split-mouth experimental design was used in a sample of 140 subjects assigned to two groups. The sealants used were Clinpro©3M and BeautiSealant©Shofu placed in first permanent molars (FPMs). Each sealant was compared to molars in the controls to determine effectiveness over a period of 6 months. The study had a 12.9% loss to follow-up. No statistically significant differences (p>0.05) were observed for sex, age, baseline dmft, or type of sealants. Nonparametric tests were used for statistical analysis.

Results

Average dmft index at baseline was 4.10±3.16. Lower incidence of caries was observed in FPMs with pit and fissure sealants (p<0.01), regardless of the type used. When sealants remained intact there was a lower caries incidence compared to sealants partially or completely missing – but differences were only significant for FPM 16. Caries incidence was higher for BeautiSealant sealed teeth than for Clinpro’s, but only statistically significant in FPMs 16, 36 and 46 (p< 0.05). Caries incidence was higher in those cases with a higher baseline dmft but it only reached statistical significance in FPMs 26 and 36. Relative risks for dental caries were lower in sealed teeth (p<0.01).

Conclusions

Pit and fissures sealants are an effective preventive treatment to reduce caries during a 6-month follow-up in schoolchildren 6 to 8 years of age, regardless of the type of sealant used. The sealant brand that showed greater effectiveness in terms of prevention and retention was Clinpro©3M.

Fissure sealants or fluoride varnish? Routines and attitudes among dental health personnel in Norway

PURPOSE

To investigate routines and attitudes among dentists and dental hygienists concerning use of fissure sealants and fluoride varnish for non-operative management of occlusal caries.

METHODS

All dentists and dental hygienists working in child dental care in three counties in Norway were invited to answer a questionnaire on routines for use of fissure sealants and fluoride varnish. Nine statements regarding attitudes towards use of sealants were scored using a five-point Likert scale. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess indicators associated with reported routines for use of sealants and varnish. The study was approved by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data.

RESULTS

In total 142 of 189 (75%) dentists and dental hygienists answered the questionnaire. The majority of the respondents, n = 83 (59%), reported to prefer fissure sealants while fluoride varnish was preferred by 57 (41%) of the respondents. Frequent use of fissure sealants was reported by 58 (41%) and frequent use of varnish by 104 (74%) of the respondents. Most (n = 104, 74%), used sealants on specific indications, and 89 (64%) opened fissures only when suspecting dentine caries. Preferred method and routines for occlusal caries management differed between counties (p < 0.05). Almost all clinicians agreed with the statement that sealants are protective against caries, while statements regarding costs, technique sensitivity and children's cooperation revealed some concerns regarding fissure sealing.

CONCLUSIONS

Fissure sealants were the preferred method for occlusal caries management despite reported concerns related to technical aspects and patient cooperation. County-level variation in frequency of sealant use was observed.

Prevalence of Dental Caries and Fissure Sealants in the First Permanent Molars among Male Children in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Aims

To evaluate the prevalence of dental caries and the presence of fissure sealants on the first permanent molars (FPMs) among 6 to 9 years old primary school boys in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Materials and methods

The carious status and the presence of fissure sealants on the FPMs were examined in 1844 schoolboys, aged 6-9 years (the first three grades), from 17 randomly selected primary schools in Riyadh city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Chi-square test was used to assess the significance of differences in prevalence and proportions.

Results

A total of 5394 FPMs were assessed in the 1844 children. Eighty-three point five percent of children were caries free. Only 0.8% of the children had at least one fissure sealant applied. At tooth level, the decayed FPMs counted for 10.6%. There was obvious underuse of fissure sealants on the FPMs; 0.5% (n = 25). The caries prevalence in the mandibular FPMs (14.4%), was significantly higher than in the maxillary FPMs, 7.7% (p < 0.01). The proportion of carious FPMs increased with age of the children significantly (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the proportion of the presence of fissure sealants among the three different grade/age groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Caries prevalence in the FPMs was moderate but serious amongst this cohort of young students. This was opposed with very low use of fissure sealants.

Clinical significance

Careful examination of the first permanent molars among children is mandatory because of their high caries susceptibility. It is important to increase public and dental professionals’ awareness of the effectiveness of fissure sealants and encouraging more placement.

How to cite this article: Aldossary MS, Alamri AA, Alshiha SA, Hattan MA, Alfraih YK, Alwayli HM. Prevalence of Dental Caries and Fissure Sealants in the First Permanent Molars among Male Children in Riyadh, Kingdom Saudi Arabia. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent., 2018;11(5):365-370.

A survey of fissure sealants and dental caries prevalence in the first permanent molars among primary school girls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Objectives:

To investigate the prevalence of caries and fissure sealants on the first permanent molars (FPMs) among 6–9-year-old girls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Materials and Methods:

The FPMs of 17,891 school girls from 120 randomly selected public primary schools were evaluated by visual and tactile examination for the carious status and the presence of fissure sealants. Chi-square test was used to analyze the data at level of 5%.

Results:

A total of 58,140 FPMs were assessed in the 17,891 children. Nearly 64.6% of the children were caries free. Only 1.3% of the children had at least one fissure sealant applied. At tooth level, the decayed FPMs counted for 24.6%. There was obvious underutilization of fissure sealants on the FPMs; 0.8% (n = 478). The caries prevalence in the mandibular FPMs (33%) was significantly higher than in the maxillary FPMs, 18.2% (P < 0.01). The proportion of carious FPMs increased with age of the children significantly (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the proportion of the presence of fissure sealants among the three different grade/age groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

Caries prevalence in the FPMs was high and serious among this cohort of young students. This was contrasting the very low prevalence of fissure sealants.

The healthcare system and the provision of oral healthcare in European Union member states. Part 2: Spain

Spain is the second largest EU Member State with an area of 504,645 km(2) and is the fifth most populated one with a total of 46.5 million inhabitants. The number of dentists working in Spain has grown rapidly in the last 20 years. In December 2014, there were 33,346 practising dentists with a ratio of one dentist for every 1394 inhabitants. Oral health of children has improved; with a fall in the national mean DMFT index (decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth) among 12-year-olds, from 4.20 in 1984 to 1.12 in 2010. The percentage of the population that has visited a dentist within the last three months has risen from 13.5% (1987) to 16.9% (2011-2012). Forty-three percent of the Spanish population visited a dentist in the last year in 2009. The Spanish National Health System (SNS) provides comprehensive cover for general health, but very little oral healthcare for adults. Only emergency care and oral surgery (dental extractions) for adults are provided in publicly funded clinics. The vast majority of oral health care is provided in the private sector and over 90% of dental professionals work in the private sector. Nevertherless, children aged 7-15 years are covered (with some restrictions) by publicly funded oral healthcare with different care models, depending on the local health authority, and some of them are funded by a capitation system which was introduced 25 years ago.

Managing caries: the need to close the gap between the evidence base and current practice

Underpinned by a changing knowledge of the aetiology of caries and its sequelae, and assisted by established and advancing dental materials, there is growing evidence supporting less invasive management of dental caries based on the principles of minimal intervention dentistry. This narrative review assesses both the evidence and the adoption of less invasive caries management strategies and describes ways in which the gap between evidence and practice might be overcome. While there is increasing data supporting less invasive management of carious lesions, these are not standard in most dental practices worldwide. Usually, clinical studies focused on efficacy as outcome, and did not take into consideration the views and priorities of other stakeholders, such as primary care dentists, educators, patients and those financing services. Involving these stakeholders into study design and demonstrating the broader advantages of new management strategies might improve translation of research into practice. In theory, clinical dentists can rely on a growing evidence in cariology regarding less invasive management options. In practice, further factors seem to impede adoption of these strategies. Future research should address these factors by involving major stakeholders and investigating their prioritised outcomes to narrow or close the evidence gap.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice among Dental Practitioners Pertaining to Preventive Measures in Paediatric Patients

INTRODUCTION

Prevention at primary level is of great value in Paediatric Dentistry. Since use of preventive measures can prevent future complications, dental professionals share an important responsibility toward early screening, prompt referral and treatment and this knowledge must transfer into the practice of dentistry.

AIM

To evaluate Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) among dental practitioners in Bhopal city (central part of India) pertaining to sealants, topical fluorides usage and orthodontic consideration in paediatric patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted using a 20-item self-administered, closed ended, structured questionnaire. A total of 200 available private dental practitioners of Bhopal city made up the sampling frame of study.

RESULTS

Out of 200 practicing dentists, 147 participated with response rate of 73.5% in which 69.4% were males and 30.6% were females. A total of 83% dentists were less than 35 years of age, while 17% were equal to or more than 35 years of age. Qualification distribution revealed 67.3% dental graduate and 32.6% dental specialist. A highly significant difference in knowledge in relation to age was observed. The mean±SD were found for Knowledge as 8.46±1.82, Attitude as 2.65±0.780, and Practice as 1.66±1.57. Statistically significant correlations were found between attitude and practice (r=0.58, p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Dentists in Bhopal city have vast knowledge towards preventive dentistry. The attitude is highly commendable but underutilized in practice, which needs to be improved.

Evidence-practice gap for dental sealant application: results from a dental practice-based research network in Japan

PURPOSE

The study aims were: (i) to examine dentist practice patterns regarding treatment recommendations for dental sealants; and (ii) to identify characteristics associated with this recommendation.

METHODS

The study was performed using a cross-sectional questionnaire survey (Clinicaltrials.gov registration number NCT01680848). Participants were Japanese dentists (n = 282) recruited from the Dental Practice-based Research Network Japan. Three clinical photographs of the occlusal surface of a mandibular first molar were presented, portraying increasing depths of cavitation in a 12-year-old patient with high caries risk. Sealants would be an appropriate treatment in all three scenarios. We asked about the treatment decision for each case. We then performed multiple logistic regression analyses to evaluate associations between the decision to recommend sealants, and dentist, patient and practice characteristics.

RESULTS

Responses were obtained from 189 dentists (response rate = 67%). In the hypothetical scenarios, dentists' recommendations for sealants for the 12-year-old patient varied from 16% to 26% across the three hypothetical clinical scenarios. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that dentist agreement with the efficacy of assessment for caries risk showed a significant association with the percentages of patients receiving sealants.

CONCLUSIONS

Dentist practice patterns for sealant treatment recommendation show changes that are dependent on caries severity. The dentists' recommendations for sealants for the 12-year-old patient were low for all three selected scenarios, based on indications for sealants in the American Dental Association guidelines. Recommending a sealant showed a significant relationship with the dentist having a higher agreement with efficacy of caries risk assessment.

Dentists' levels of evidence-based clinical knowledge and attitudes about using pit-and-fissure sealants

BACKGROUND

Although the prevalence of pit-and-fissure sealants in children in the United States is low, the problem is magnified in low-income children. A small proportion of Florida's low-income children receive any preventive dental services, including sealants. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study to assess whether Florida's dentists provide sealants as a preventive measure in their practices, their attitudes and their levels of evidence-based clinical knowledge about appropriate sealant use according to the American Dental Association (ADA) recommendations. The authors also assessed whether the number of years since graduation and reliance on peers or colleagues for regular clinical information were associated with dentists' knowledge.

METHODS

The authors administered a 25-item pretested questionnaire to a convenience sample of general and pediatric dentists (n = 163) at the 2013 Florida National Dental Convention in Kissimmee, Fla. The authors conducted multivariate linear regression modeling to predict dentists' levels of evidence-based clinical knowledge.

RESULTS

Years since graduation (P = .2) and reliance on peers or colleagues for regular clinical information (P = .6) did not predict higher knowledge. Male dentists (P = .003) and those who accepted children enrolled in Medicaid as new patients (P = .01) had significantly more knowledge compared with their counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

Most participating dentists used sealants in their practices and had high levels of positive attitudes about using sealants. Overall knowledge regarding the appropriate use of sealants, however, was low.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

For practicing dental professionals, the authors recommend disseminating evidence-based recommendations for the use of dental sealants via continuing education courses and other possible modalities. They also recommend that dental schools update their existing courses or modules about sealants by integrating the ADA's recommendations.

Fissure sealants: Knowledge and practice of Yemeni dental practitioners

OBJECTIVES

This study was conducted to evaluate Yemeni dental practitioners' knowledge and practices concerning fissure sealants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A modified questionnaire consisted of 25-items was distributed to 500 dentists working in Sana'a City. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square/Fisher's exact tests were used for statistical analyses.

RESULTS

The response rate was 74%. Most of the respondents were male (61.3%), general practitioners (84.2%), and had <5 years of clinical experience (48.3%). The respondents showed a reasonable level of knowledge about sealants, with the majority (88%) believed that there is strong scientific evidence about fissure sealants effectiveness and around 90% showed a good understanding of sealant placement instructions. On the other hand, respondents showed insufficient knowledge about sealants clinical practice.

CONCLUSION

Although a high proportion of dental practitioners showed adequate knowledge about dental sealant, following guidelines and standardized procedures in clinical practice is lacking. These emphasize the need for regular continuing education courses for dental professional.

Knowledge, value, opinion and practice about usage of pit and fissure sealant among dental professionals in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

AIM

A study was aimed to assess the knowledge, value, opinion, and practice regarding the use of dental sealants among private dental practitioners in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A self-administrated questionnaire were distributed to 192 private dental practitioners in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India by using simple random sampling. A convenience sampling technique was employed. The questionnaire consisted of 28 items, which included information about knowledge, value, opinion, and practice regarding dental sealants. The questionnaire was obtained from the study by San Martin et al. 2013 and Kailash Asawa et al. 2014. Frequency distribution was tabulated. For frequency distribution strongly, strongly agree, and agree were combined as "agree" and strongly disagree and disagree were combined as "disagree." There were no changes in "neutral."

RESULTS

Among the 196 study subjects 56.2% were males and 43.8% were females with their clinical experience of 52.1% for <5 years, 35.4% for 5-10 years, and 13.5% for >15 years. The mean scores for knowledge, value, opinion, and practice were 41.8 ± 3.7, 18.7 ± 2.8, 18.1 ± 1.4, and 12.9 ± 2.3, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that dental practitioners had satisfactory knowledge about pit and fissure sealant and had neutral attitudes about sealants being effective. Dental practitioners adequately used the pit and fissure sealants but they did not follow the standardized procedures and specific guidelines.

Dental sealant knowledge, opinion, values and practice of Spanish dental hygienists

OBJECTIVES

Dental sealants have proved to be an effective approach to prevent pit and fissure caries. This study examines the knowledge, opinion, values and practice (KOVP) of dental hygienists concerning sealant use in the southwest region of Andalusia, Spain.

METHODS

Spanish dental hygienists (n = 400) volunteered to complete a 31-item, self-administered, pretested questionnaire to assess their knowledge, opinion, values and practice regarding pit and fissure sealants. Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed ranks test, the Friedman nonparametric repeated-measures anova and Spearman's correlation were used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

The mean scores for knowledge, opinion, values and practice were 3.57 ± 0.41; 2.17 ± 0.42; 2.58 ± 0.77 and 3.56 ± 0.46, respectively. Knowledge differed by years of experience (P < 0.01) and place of work (P < 0.01); opinion differed by years of experience (P = 0.03) and sector (P < 0.01). Similarly, practice about sealants differed by years of experience (P < 0.01). Conversely, values around sealant placement did not statistically differ by sex, years of experience, practice sector or place of work. Statistically, significant correlations were found between knowledge, opinion and value, while it was found no significant correlation between practice and the other variables (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Most dental hygienists have sufficient knowledge about pit and fissure sealants. They also acknowledge the importance of use of dental sealants and have positive opinion/attitude about using sealants. Practice of dental sealants in clinics was found adequate. However, they were not following the specific guidelines and standardized procedures.

Prevalence of dental caries and fissure sealants in a Portuguese sample of adolescents

INTRODUCTION

The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of dental caries and the DMFT index, as well as the distribution pattern of pit and fissure sealants on permanent teeth in a Portuguese sample of adolescents, and to assess whether the existing usage of sealants and socio-demographic factors are correlated to caries prevalence on the examined sample.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was designed with a sample of 447 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years old, attending a public school in Sátão, Portugal. A self-administered questionnaire with questions about oral health behaviours and socio-economic status was answered by adolescents in the classroom. Clinical examination of oral health status and assessment of fissure sealants were accomplished by only one trained member of the research team.

RESULTS

We obtained a DMFT index of 3.32 (2.92), which indicates a moderate level of prevalence of dental caries. When considering a DMFT = 0, we found significant statistical differences between the parents' level of education (≤ 4th grade = 26.3 vs 5th-12th grade = 18.8 vs <12th grade = 43.3, p = 0.001), gender (male = 27.3 vs female = 19.6, p = 0.04), age (≤ 15 years = 27.1 vs <15 years = 18.5, p = 0.02), presence of fissure sealants (yes = 30.6 vs no = 13.5, p = 0.001) and experience of dental pain (no = 25.4 vs yes = 16.8, p = 0.02). When analyzing the prevalence of fissure sealants, we verified that 58.8% of adolescents had at least one fissure sealant applied. Significant statistical differences were found when analyzing the presence of fissure sealants related with parents' educational level (<9th grade, OR = 1.56 CI95% = 1.05-2.54), gender (female, OR = 1.86 CI95% = 1.19-2.98), experience of dental pain (yes, OR = 0.62 CI95% = 0.39-0.97) and presence of dental caries (yes, OR = 0.35 CI95% = 0.19-0.65).

CONCLUSIONS

The moderate level of caries prevalence reveals the need of improvement of primary prevention interventions among Portuguese adolescents. The establishment of a more targeted preventive program with better and more effective oral health education is essential, having into account socio-demographic aspects.

Assessment of early occlusal caries pre- and post-sealant application--an imaging approach

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Clinicians have difficulty assessing and monitoring early occlusal caries. Traditional clinical exam and radiographs are unable to detect the subtle alterations in enamel indicative of de- or re-mineralization, particularly under dental sealants. Although clinicians have used laser fluorescence (LF) to address this gap, this modality has demonstrated weak correlation with histology. The International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS-II) has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for caries detection, but since it is based on visual assessment, it is of no use in areas beneath the most commonly used dental sealants which are opaque. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an emergent assessment tool which has demonstrated great promise in detecting and quantifying caries, including areas beneath commonly used dental sealants and composites. However, OCT has not yet been widely integrated into clinical dental practice, perhaps because OCT imaging does not provide an easily accessible diagnostic outcome for clinicians. The objective of this ex vivo study was to use OCT-images of sound and carious occlusal surfaces in combination with a simple algorithm to compare the caries detection ability of OCT with tools clinicians may be more familiar with (LF and radiography), and with an established valid and reliable clinical assessment tool (ICDAS-II).

STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred twenty extracted teeth with sound or naturally carious occlusal surfaces were imaged with OCT, LF, radiography, and examined clinically with the ICDAS-II. Teeth were randomized to one of two dental sealants recommended for use with LF. A novel simple algorithm was used to interpret OCT-based images. The accuracy of caries severity assessments of the OCT-based diagnosis, LF, ICDAS-II, and digital radiography were compared to the 4-point histological analysis gold standard.

RESULTS

OCT and ICDAS-II caries severity assessments demonstrated high sensitivity (94.0%; 92.3%) and specificity (85.0%; 83.3%), LF demonstrated low sensitivity (65.2%) but high specificity (97.6%), and digital radiography demonstrated low sensitivity (67.1%) with moderate specificity (79.5%) on unsealed occlusal surfaces. OCT-based caries severity assessments of sealed teeth demonstrated high specificity (97.6%), sensitivity (89.9%), excellent positive predictive value (98.6%), and negative predictive value (83.3%). Despite our use of LF recommended dental sealants, in the presence of sealants, LF assessment of caries severity demonstrated high sensitivity (95.1%), but extremely low specificity (10.3%), positive predictive value (68.8%), and negative predictive value (50.0%).

CONCLUSION

This study found that OCT-based imaging combined with a simple diagnostic algorithm accurately assessed the severity of natural early caries on occlusal surfaces in extracted teeth both in the absence and presence of dental sealant. The findings of this study support the clinical use of OCT imaging for assessment and monitoring progression of early non-cavitated caries lesions on occlusal surfaces including areas under dental sealants.

Dental Sealants: Knowledge, Value, Opinion, and Practice among Dental Professionals of Bathinda City, India

Objective. The purpose of the study was to assess the knowledge, value, opinion, and practice regarding use of dental sealants among private dental practitioners in Bathinda City, Punjab, India. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among all private dental practitioners in Bathinda City, Punjab. A self-administered structured questionnaire consisting of 28 items was used to assess their knowledge, value, opinion, and practice regarding dental sealants. One-way analysis of variance, independent sample t-test, and multivariate regression analysis were utilized for statistical analysis. Confidence level and level of significance were set at 95% and 5%, respectively. Results. The mean scores for knowledge, value, opinion, and practice were 41.8 ± 3.7, 18.7 ± 2.8, 18.1 ± 1.4, and 12.9 ± 2.3, respectively. Analysis revealed that qualification was statistically significant among all dependent variables (P ≤ 0.05); work experience was significantly associated with both knowledge and opinion means scores (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion. The results suggest that dental practitioners had sufficient knowledge about dental sealants. They also acknowledge the importance of use of dental sealants. Practice of dental sealants in clinics was found adequate but they were not following the specific guidelines and standardized procedures.