Dental caries and sealant prevalence in children and adolescents in the United States, 2011-2012.

Although dental caries has been declining in permanent teeth for many children since the 1960s, previous findings showed caries in primary teeth for preschool children increasing from 24% to 28% between 1988 and 2004. Disparities in caries continue to persist for some race and ethnic groups in the United States. Prevalence of dental sealants--applied to the tooth chewing surfaces to help prevent caries--has also varied among sociodemographic groups. This report describes U.S. youth dental caries and sealant prevalence by race and Hispanic origin for 2011-2012. All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.