Preventing and Arresting Dental Root Surface Caries in Community-dwelling Older Adults
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2015-04-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
This study is a randomized clinical trial lasting for 30 months. A total of 300 subjects will
be recruited from social centres for elders located in different districts in Hong Kong.
Baseline clinical examination will be conducted by a single calibrated examiner in the social
centres using an intra-oral LED light, mouth mirrors and probes. Subjects will be randomly
allocated into the three study groups and receive interventions accordingly. Follow-up
examinations at 6-month intervals will be carried out to assess the clinical outcomes, i.e.
whether new root caries has developed and whether the active root caries found at baseline
have become arrested (remineralized and hardened) or not. Photographs of the arrested lesions
will be taken to assess their colour. Results of this study will provide the much needed
evidence to guide the dental professionals in Hong Kong and worldwide in deciding on the most
appropriate intervention for the prevention and treatment of this common dental disease of
the older adults.