Oral Health Program: Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile

Services are provided free of charge

All students that return a consent form receive services free of charge. Learn more about Seal A Smile and sign students up.

Did you know?

In Wisconsin, 3 in 5 students in third grade have had a cavity.
Cavities can cause pain, discomfort, and make eating or concentrating in class difficult.
Dental sealants can prevent 8 out of 10 cavities in back teeth, where most cavities occur.
Sealants can be applied by a dentist or dental hygienist right in schools.

Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile

Dental sealant program offered in schools around the state
Dental sealants—quick, easy and painless way to prevent most cavities students get
Brings preventative dental services to students at school to reduce time spent away from the classroom
Eligibility—Students must return consent form
Services—provided free of charge
Parents/guardians—Learn more about Seal A Smile and sign your child up.
Impact—view the Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile data dashboard

What are sealants and how do they protect teeth?

Dental sealants are thin coatings painted on the chewing surfaces of back teeth.
Sealants keep food and germs away from hard to clean pits and grooves.
Dental sealants prevent 80% of cavities in the back teeth.

When are dental sealants applied?

Children typically get sealants put on their permanent, back teeth between the ages of six and 12.

How long do dental sealants last?

Sealants can last up to 10 years.
They should be checked regularly by a dental professional.
Dental sealants that are chipped or worn away can be reapplied.

Where can you get sealants?

Sealants can be applied at dental offices, mobile dental clinics, and schools with dental sealant programs.
The cost of dental sealants is often covered by insurance, and Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile (SAS) is a school-based program that provides sealants to children at no cost to families.
On average, 90,000 sealants are placed per year by Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile programs.
Local SAS programs provide preventive dental care to children in more than 850 schools across Wisconsin. Learn more about Seal A Smile and sign your child up for services.

Next steps:

Determine if your child will receive dental sealants from your dental provider or at a school-based sealant program.
Make your child’s appointment for dental sealants.
Ensure your children drink fluoridated water, brush their teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, and get regular dental check-ups.

Resources

Dental Sealants: A Resource Guide National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC): Information on policy, practice guidance, professional education and training, public education, and state and local programs to help promote the use of dental sealants.
Visit Seal America: The Prevention Invention for information on launching, improving, and sustaining school-based dental sealant programs and addressing issues related to referring students with unmet oral health needs to a dental clinic or office.
Pew Charitable Trusts Report on Dental Sealants: Pew's 50-state report focuses on prevention, examining states' efforts to improve access to sealants for low-income kids. Download Wisconsin's report (PDF) on progress.

Thumbnail of dental sealants fact sheet.

Dental Sealants, P-40110 (PDF)

DHS publication: Fact sheet explaining tooth decay, dental sealants and how a school-based oral health program is helping students in Wisconsin.

Do you want to bring Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile to your school?

Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile's mission is to improve the oral health of Wisconsin students by providing school-based dental sealants.

SAS is nationally recognized as a gold-standard program bringing preventative dental services to students at schools.

Learn more about this collaborative effort between:

For more information regarding the Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile Program, please email: DHSSealASmile@dhs.wisconsin.gov.

Review Selecting a School-Based Oral Health Care Program, P-00437 (PDF) to determine which school-based oral health care program is the best fit.

Do you want to start a Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile program?

Grant funding is available.

Who: Grantees include local health departments, dentists, dental hygienists, schools, hospitals, community health centers, and non-profit safety net dental clinics.

When: Each year, SAS provides funding to local programs to implement school-based oral health services.

How: Contact Children's Health Alliance Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile at CHAWSealASmile@childrenswi.org for information on how to get started.

Questions: For more information regarding the Wisconsin Seal-A-Smile Program, please email DHSSealASmile@dhs.wisconsin.gov.