Active clinical trials for "Dental Caries"

Study hypothesis: Etching the enamel followed by use of a self-etching adhesive on enamel and dentin is as effective as a one-step etch and rinse approach.

This is a retrospective chart review of patient records at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. We are not actively recruiting patients for this study. Recent animal studies we conducted showed that periapical abscesses during pregnancy cause a systemic inflammatory response in the mother. Also due to the increase in TNF-alpha (an inflammatory cytokine) the mother also become insulin resistant and thus developed gestational diabetes. Periodontal inflammation has been shown in the research to lead to low-birth weight and pre-term birth. We are looking retrospectively to see if an association exists in charted data between periapical and periodontal inflammation and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Alteration of the post- eruptive enamel microstructure due to a mutation of a gene coding for a matrix protein could increase the susceptibility of the enamel to caries after tooth eruption. To identify in young patients with severe caries incidence, the occurrence of mutations in several candidate genes which result in an alteration of the enamel microstructure that could explain the high caries susceptibility of the patient.

Purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Fluor Protector S in preventing tooth decay in adolescents and to isolate factors that reduce its effectiveness. In this study, half of the randomly assigned participants will received fluoride varnish (Fluor Protector S) and will be considered an intervention group. The other half will undergo placebo application.

The objective of this pilot study is to determine if the presence of bacteria with probiotic characteristics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium longum) in a commercial milk, control some measures that indicate cariogenic processes.

The main aim of this study is to investigate potential associations between maternal pre- and postnatal vitamin D level and oral health outcomes (caries and developmental defects of enamel) in their children at 7-9 years of age.

this is a randomized controlled clinical trial, evaluating the antibacterial effect of laser diode and zinc oxide nano-particles when used as cavity disinfectants.Two groups, including 15 patients each, will be randomly allocated so that each group receives one of either interventions (15 patients will undergo cavity disinfection by laser diode, while the other 15 patients will undergo cavity disinfection by zinc oxide nano-particles). For each patient, a dentin sample will be taken before and after cavity disinfection. The dentin samples will be microbiologically analyzed to assess the difference in the bacterial count (out come assessment). The results will be statistically analyzed.

The following observational study evaluates incidence of caries in smoking and smokeless tobacco based on habit history by clinical examination and DMFT index.

At present, dentistry aims for conservative treatments with the goal of maintaining as much tooth structure as possible. Dental caries remains the most prevalent chronic disease worldwide; these lesions can progress rapidly and reach deeper areas of the tooth. The carious lesion is considered deep when it goes through the main tissues of the tooth, and it can affect the pulp tissue, where the nerve and nutrients of the tooth are located. There are many treatment options for deep carious lesions and they vary by the clinical scenario. Vital pulp therapy has become a fairly predictable alternative treatment to pulpectomy (root canal therapy). The goal of vital pulp capping therapies is to keep the pulp of the teeth vital to prevent further interventions such as root canal treatments and complex restorative work. There are two main clinical scenarios when treating these lesions, depending on the remaining dentin thickness between the carious lesion and the pulp: vital direct and indirect pulp capping. Direct and indirect vital pulp therapies are routinely performed using different clinical protocols. The clinical protocols are selected based on the remaining dentin (between the tooth preparation and pulp) and the restorative materials. There are few studies that evaluate pulp capping method in adult teeth (permanent dentition); many studies have investigated baby teeth (deciduous teeth). Routine therapies include the using of adhesive restorations with and without an intermediate layer of restorative material. Calcium hydroxide based cements have been used for pulp capping as an intermediate layer of restorative material. More recently a new intermediate layer of restorative material composed of resin-modified calcium silicate has been indicated for use on direct and indirect pulp capping. The aims of this study are to compare, over a period of 12 months, the post-operative sensitivity and pulp vitality of three indirect pulp capping protocols and two direct pulp capping protocol in vital teeth. This study will provide the necessary evidence to allow clinicians to select the best restorative protocol when treating deep carious lesions where indirect and direct pulp capping protocol are needed.

The main goals of this pilot study are to develop a nursing home-customized oral hygiene protocol, intended to be delivered primarily by dental hygienists and primary care providers, and to identify potential obstacles and barriers to overcome in designing a subsequent definitive study on the same topic.