Preventing and Arresting Dental Root Surface Caries in Community-dwelling Older Adults

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2015-04-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

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.

• Phase: Phase 2/Phase 3
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong
• Treatments: Fluorides; Pharmaceutical Solutions

Criteria

Inclusion criteria:

• have at least 5 teeth with exposed root surfaces and not indicated for extraction, and

• living in the community and have self-care ability for normal daily activities.

Exclusion Criteria:

• have life-threatening or serious health problems,

• have cognitive problems in communication or in receiving oral hygiene instructions

• have salivary gland diseases or received radiotherapy in the head and neck region.