109 - Improving Dental Sealant Acceptance in Spanish and Chinese Speaking Parents and Children

Abstract: Dental sealants are a key preventive measure that can reduce the risk of dental decay by 80% as highlighted by the CDC. However, in our community of patients at NYU Langone Family Health center, one of the major barriers to sealant placement is dental literacy discrepancies, particularly language barriers in Chinese and Spanish speaking populations. We observed that sealant completion rates among these groups were lagging compared to those of their English-speaking counterparts. To address this we focused on improving parental literacy around dental sealants. We recognized that sealant acceptance is greatly enhanced when dental education is provided in the patients’ and parents native language.

In November 2023, NYU Langone FHC Healthcare Equities Task Force launched sealant educational posters in Spanish and Chinese to increase patient understanding and acceptance of sealants. Another barrier noted against sealant placement is convenience. In January 2024 we integrated sealant placement into new patient and recall exams to eliminate an additional appointment needed for sealant placement. Data was collected between July 2025 to December 2025 comparing the number of patients seen for exams to the number of patients that have received sealants. As of 2025, NYU Langone FHC Healthcare Equities Task Force instituted a benchmark of 80% sealant completion.
Results will be presented at the conference.

Identify Supporting Agency and Grant Number: Research supported by Health Resources and Services Administration, Grant/Award Numbers: D88HP37549 and D87HP46111