Prophylactic sealing of dental fissures: measure of the impact of their reimbursement by the French health insurance fund

Aim: To perform a survey on the prophylactic sealing of dental fissures in the Auvergne region following the decision to add it to the health fund’s catalogue of reimbursable procedures. Method: The study enrolled children who were at least 14 years-old who received reimbursement from the general scheme of the French health insurance fund for at least one SC-coded dental procedure in 2001 and 2002. The SC 8- coded acts were analyzed according to the type of procedure, the beneficiary and the professional who performed the procedure. The evolution in data was followed monthly by using the general scheme’s computer database. Results: The use of prophylactic sealing rapidly increased over the five months following the decision to include it in the catalogue of reimbursable procedures and represented 10.7 % of all SC-coded procedures performed in 2001-2002. Children received an average of 3.2 dental sealings performed by 56.4 % of the dental-surgeons in the region. Among children who received dental care, 15.0 % had a sealing procedure. The frequency of the procedure varied according to the department of residence of the children. Females, urban-dwelling children and those not covered by universal health insurance had the procedure performed more frequently than others. Nearly one-half (46.0 %) of the children who had a sealing procedure were aged between 8 and 10 years. The first permanent molars were the most frequently treated teeth (83.4 % of all SC 8-coded procedures). Conclusion: The health fund’s decision to reimburse prophylactic sealing, a procedure which is coded SC 8, rapidly afforded easier access to this preventive measure to children in the Auvergne region, particularly in the first few months of 2001. However, its progression has slowed since 2002.