[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 134 (Wednesday, July 14, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37988-37989]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-17926]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; The Impact and Costs 
of Sealants in Young Child Population

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, the National Institute of Dental and 
Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), National Institutes of Health (NIH) has 
submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to 
review and approve the information collection listed below. This 
proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal 
Register on March 31, 1999, page 15367, and allowed 60 days for public 
comment. No public comments were received. The purpose of this notice 
is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment. The National 
Institutes of Health may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is 
not required to respond to, an information collection that has been 
extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless 
it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Proposed Collection

    Title: The Impact and Costs of Sealants in Young Child Populations.
    Type of Information Collection Request: Revision. Need and use of 
Information Collection; This study will assess the value (costs and 
effects) of providing dental sealants to the child population with 
erupted permanent posterior teeth (approximately ages 6-12) under 
alternative financial support programs in existing oral health care 
delivery systems and across two socioeconomic groups. The primary 
objectives of the study are to determine if various levels of dental 
insurance influence the use of dental sealants, if costs attributable 
to sealants in a payment program provide value in terms of reduced 
caries, and if providing dental sealants to specific tooth surfaces of 
children merits the investment of limited resources within a larger 
oral health care program. The findings will provide valuable 
information concerning: 1. Real disease reductions possible using 
dental sealants for age-appropriate child populations within the 
existing oral health delivery system, 2. the costs of, and estimated 
savings from, providing sealants rather than restorative care,and 3. 
the marginal benefits and cost benefits of adding sealants to 
``normative'' caries prevention efforts in age-appropriate child 
populations.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion. Affected Public: Individuals or 
Households, Businesses or other For-Profits. Type of respondents: 
Children, Parents, and Dentists. Estimated Number of Respondents: 
1,200. Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1. Average Burden 
hours per Response: .1200; and Estimated Total Annual Hours Requested: 
766. The annualized cost to respondents is estimated at: $964. There 
are no Capital Costs to report. There are no Operating or Maintenance 
Costs to report.
    The number of required respondents has been reduced significantly 
due to the proposed modification of the approach to meeting the 
objectives of the study. Data gathered from approximately 400 children 
enrolled to date under the study's insurance coverage will be 
supplemented by administrative data already collected from large 
numbers of children who are receiving dental care through private 
insurance, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and Medicaid. No 
contact with these children is required, and there will be no 
identifying information in the data obtained. The result of the 
proposed modification is that the respondent burden for the component 
of this study that involves direct contact with subjects is reduced 
substantially. The burden estimates are as follows:

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                                                                                      No. of       Avg. burden/
                                                                      No. of       responses per     response
                                                                    respondents     respondent        (hour)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parents.........................................................             500               4            .125
Children........................................................             400               4            .129
Dentists........................................................             300               1            .033
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Request for Comments

    Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies are invited on one or more of the following points: (1) 
Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the function of the agency, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

[[Page 37989]]

clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on those who are to 
respond, including the use of appropriate automated electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.

Direct Comments to OMB

    Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) contained 
in this notice, especially regarding the estimated public burden and 
associated response time, should be directed to the Office of 
Management and Budget, Office of Regulatory Affairs, New Executive 
Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, D.C. 20503, Attention: Desk 
Officer for NIH. To request more information on the proposed project or 
to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, contact: 
Dr. Robert H. Selwitz, Health Policy Analysis and Development Branch, 
NIDCR, NIH, Natcher Building, Room 3AN-44J, 9000 Rockville Pike, 
Bethesda, MD 20892, or call non-toll-free number (301) 594-3977, or e-
mail your request, including your address to: Robert.S[email protected].

Comments Due Date

    Comments regarding this information collection are best assured of 
having their full effect if received on or before August 13, 1999.

    Dated: July 7, 1999.
Yvonne H. du Buy,
Executive Officer, NIDCR.
[FR Doc. 99-17926 Filed 7-13-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M