99 - Sealant Retention in Children: Behavioral Factors on Longevity and Effectiveness

Purpose: Dental caries is the most common chronic disease among children in the United States, with posterior teeth particularly susceptible due to deep pits and fissures. Dental sealants are an effective preventive measure, reducing caries incidence by up to 76%. The purpose of the study is to determine if there is a correlation between higher Frankl Scale Rating and higher dental sealant retention rates for pediatric patients seen at the Compass Health Pediatric Dental Clinic.

Methods: retrospective chart review of patients aged 6–11 years seen at Compass Health’s Pediatric Dental Clinic at the Portland location in Columbia, MO from August 2024 to August 2025 who had sealants repaired during that time. Children who were both neurotypical and had an ADHD diagnosis with fully erupted first molars were included in this study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were completed. Specifically, the Fisher’s exact test and Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test for categorical and continuous variables respectively for Frankl score comparison at sealant placement and sealant repair to determine retention rates.

Results: The average Sealant Retention times: Frankl 2 was 761 days, Frankl 3 was 623 days, Frankl 4 was 1058 days. F3 and F4 patients at sealant placement were more likely to score a F3 or F4 at sealant repair.

Conclusion: Patients with low Frankl scores will have significantly lower sealant retention times compared to patients with Frankl 4. The results confirms the hypothesis that patients with higher Frankl scores will have better sealant retention rates.