03 Apr 2019
The Health Promotion Specialists’ (HPS) Dental Prevention Program has increased our prevention efforts! While cleaning teeth, applying sealants and fluoride varnish and referring children for restorative care has dramatically decreased the urgent dental needs in the districts served by HPS, the percentage of untreated cavities has remained the same across the state. There is little to no evidence to show that surgical treatment of cavities (traditional fillings) improves outcomes. Doing the same thing over and over expecting different results is a futile effort, yet is what has been done for decades. There is evidence that comprehensive prevention makes a difference and is less harmful to the tooth.