Dental Sealants and Fluoride for Kids: What the CDCP Covers
The Canadian Dental Association supports using dental sealants for kids selectively: a dentist decides, after a cavity risk assessment, whether a child's molars would benefit from a plastic covering on their chewing surfaces, so ask your dentist whether your child's molars are good candidates.
Dr. Kyle Lesko
The quick version
The Canadian Dental Association supports the selective use of dental sealants for kids: a dentist decides, after a cavity risk assessment, whether they suit the child. Ask your dentist whether your child's molars are good candidates.
Fluoride varnish is a separate treatment, and Cochrane reviewers could not say whether sealants or varnish is better for children's back teeth.
As of October 2026, the Canadian Dental Care Plan's Dental Benefits Guide lists sealants for clients 17 and under (2 per eligible tooth for life) and topical fluoride once in any 6 months for ages 0 to 16. Eligibility and limits apply, check canada.ca.
The Canadian Dental Association supports using dental sealants for kids selectively: a dentist decides, after a cavity risk assessment, whether a child's molars would benefit from a plastic covering on their chewing surfaces, so ask your dentist whether your child's molars are good candidates.
If you're weighing sealants for your child, here's what sealants are, what the research shows, how fluoride varnish differs, and what the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) covers for children as of October 2026. TLC Family Dental Centre, led by Dr. Kyle Lesko, welcomes children of every age from Leduc and the greater Edmonton area. This is general information, not a diagnosis.
What are dental sealants?
Health Canada describes a sealant as a clear or tinted plastic covering put on the chewing surfaces of some teeth. MyHealth Alberta says the back teeth that get sealants are more likely to decay, because food and bacteria easily get stuck in the pits and grooves of the surface.
MyHealth Alberta adds that some pits and grooves are so small that a toothbrush can't clean them out. Alberta Health Services says dental sealants are mostly used in children and teens.
Are dental sealants worth it for kids?
It depends on the child, and a dentist decides. The Canadian Dental Association supports the appropriate and selective use of sealants on baby and adult teeth, based on a cavity risk assessment and diagnosis by a dentist (position revised February 2018). Ask your dentist whether your child's molars are good candidates.
Some guidelines go further. CADTH (now Canada's Drug Agency) reported in 2023 that the 2018 guidance from Scotland's SDCEP (Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Program) says to place sealants on the adult molars of all children as early as possible after they come in. CADTH also noted that none of the three guidelines it reviewed was developed in Canada. A 2016 US guideline from the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry also recommends them for children and adolescents.
Cochrane's 2017 review of 38 studies with 7924 young people found that children with resin-based sealants on their back teeth were less likely to have decay in those teeth than children with none. It rated this evidence moderate quality, and most of the studies in that analysis were done in the 1970s.
How are sealants applied?
Alberta Health Services says sealant material is put on the tooth and then hardens over a short time. No Canadian page we checked lists the steps, so this list is general information from two US sources, the American Dental Association (ADA) and the CDC, not a description of any one office's visit.
The dentist cleans and dries the tooth.
An acidic gel goes on, which the ADA says roughs up the surface so a strong bond forms with the sealant.
After a few seconds, the gel is rinsed off and the tooth is dried again.
The sealant is applied onto the grooves of the tooth.
The sealant hardens, with a light (the ADA describes a special blue light) or on its own (the CDC).
The CDC says the child can then eat and drink as usual without any restrictions.
How long do dental sealants last, and at what age should kids get them?
Alberta Health Services says sealants can protect teeth from decay for several years. Health Canada says sealants can go on adult teeth as soon as they come in, and that first molars usually appear at 6 to 7 years and second molars at 12 to 13 years (upper) or 11 to 13 years (lower).
The same Alberta Health Services page says a dental health professional should check sealants regularly, and that a sealant can be repaired or replaced easily if needed. MyHealth Alberta adds that sealants may wear down over time.
For when the first adult molars usually arrive, see the 6-year molars section of our post on when kids lose baby teeth.
What is fluoride varnish, and how is it different?
Health Canada describes fluoride varnish as a tinted liquid resin containing fluoride that is applied to all visible enamel surfaces of the teeth. Cochrane describes a sealant as a coating a dentist applies once, while varnish is a sticky paste with high levels of fluoride that a dentist applies repeatedly.
Varnish has no single schedule. The Canadian Dental Association says that, unless a dentist recommends otherwise or it is tied to a cavity risk assessment, people should receive 5% sodium fluoride varnish only one time per 6-month period.
Cochrane's 2020 review of sealants and varnish concluded that fluoride varnish and resin-based sealants both help prevent decay on the chewing surface of first adult molars, but the evidence was of very low certainty, and its authors could not say which is better.
What do the CDCP and Alberta programs cover for sealants and fluoride?
As of October 2026, the Dental Benefits Guide of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) lists topical fluoride and sealants for children, with limits on age, teeth and how often. Alberta Health Services also lists separate school and preschool programs. Eligibility and limits apply, so check canada.ca before you book.
CDCP coverage for children, as of October 2026
Service | Who it is for | How often |
|---|---|---|
Topical fluoride, including fluoride varnish | Ages 0 to 11 and 12 to 16 | 1 treatment in any 6 months |
Topical fluoride, including fluoride varnish | Ages 17 and over | 1 treatment in any 12 months |
Sealants and preventive resin restorations | Clients 17 and under, on eligible teeth only | Lifetime limit of 2 per eligible tooth |
Source: Government of Canada, Dental Benefits Guide, effective April 1, 2026, checked October 2026; eligibility and limits apply, check canada.ca.
For sealants, the guide says clients 17 and under are covered on the chewing surface of adult molars and bicuspids (premolars) and the tongue side of adult upper incisors, where the surface has no filling. Third molars, adult canines and lower incisors are not eligible, and each eligible tooth has a lifetime limit of 2 sealants or preventive resin restorations.
These are coverage limits, not advice on how often your child needs care. The Government of Canada also says CDCP fees may not match what providers charge, so you may owe the difference. TLC is an approved CDCP provider and can bill the plan directly for eligible patients; coverage is verified before treatment. For more, see what the CDCP covers and what you still pay.
Alberta programs and the CDCP
As of October 2026, Alberta Health Services lists Preschool Oral Health Services, which provides fluoride varnish, and says children between 12 and 35 months old are eligible to start. Its listing names Leduc Community Health Centre as a location. Check the listing for eligibility details.
The Alberta Health Services School Oral Health Services listing says eligible schools may get fluoride varnish (kindergarten to Grade 2) and sealants (Grades 1 and 2), with a parent or guardian signature required, and does not say which schools take part.
The Alberta Child Health Benefit page lists basic and preventative dental services like fillings, x-rays, examinations and teeth cleaning, without naming sealants or fluoride, so we can't say whether it covers them. The Government of Canada's Alberta fact sheet for dental providers (July 2026) says people with private insurance are not eligible for the CDCP, and that when a patient also has an Alberta low-income health benefits program, the CDCP is billed first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are dental sealants safe for children?
Alberta Health Services calls sealants a safe and effective way to prevent tooth decay. The Canadian Dental Association says the amount of bisphenol A (BPA) from sealants is extremely small. In Cochrane's 2017 review of sealants on adult teeth, four studies looked for problems and none were reported, though information was limited.
Can baby teeth get sealants?
The Canadian Dental Association supports selective sealant use on baby and adult teeth, decided by a dentist. A 2022 Cochrane review found low-quality evidence for baby teeth and could not draw conclusions about whether sealants prevent decay on them. Ask your dentist whether your child's baby molars are suitable.
Does my child still need fluoride and brushing with sealants?
Yes. MyHealth Alberta says a sealant does not take the place of good dental care, and that it is still important to brush and floss daily. Alberta Health Services says sealants work together with fluoride from a dental health professional, daily brushing and flossing, and a diet low in added sugar.
Can adults get dental sealants too?
MyHealth Alberta says sealants can be used in children from about age 6, and in teens and adults. As of October 2026, the Dental Benefits Guide lists CDCP sealant coverage only for clients 17 and under, and eligibility and limits apply.
Talk it through with Dr. Kyle Lesko in Leduc
To ask whether your child's molars are good candidates for sealants, book online or call us at 780.980.5115. You will find TLC Family Dental Centre at 5209 Discovery Way #4 in Leduc, and we welcome patients from Leduc and the greater Edmonton area. At TLC, fluoride and sealants are a normal part of regular checkups for growing teeth (see children's dentistry in Leduc and your child's first dental visit), and Dr. Lesko recommends what suits each child after the exam.
Sources
Checked in October 2026. Coverage rules and recommendations change, so confirm current details with the organisations below.
CDA Position on Pit and Fissure Sealants, Canadian Dental Association
CDA Position on Fluoride, Canadian Dental Association
Bisphenol A FAQs, Canadian Dental Association
Oral health for children, Health Canada
Dental Care: Dental sealants, Alberta Health Services
Dental Sealants, MyHealth Alberta
Preschool Oral Health Services, Alberta Health Services
School Oral Health Services, Alberta Health Services
Alberta Child Health Benefit, Government of Alberta
Canadian Dental Care Plan: Dental Benefits Guide, Government of Canada
Canadian Dental Care Plan: What is covered, Government of Canada
Information on the CDCP for Oral Health Providers in Alberta, Government of Canada
Sealants for preventing tooth decay in permanent teeth, Cochrane
Dental Sealants, American Dental Association (US)
Sealants, ADA MouthHealthy (US)
About Dental Sealants, CDC (US)
About
Featured Posts
Explore Topics
