The specific aims of the proposed project are to determine the prevalence of root caries in a representative population of Birmingham adults age sixty and over and to determine the incidence of new root carious lesions over a four year period; to assess the use of a daily fluoride mouthrinse or a semiannual optical application of a fluoride gel in preventing further root caries; to determine by cementum biopsy changes in the fluoride content of cementum of the subjects exposed to topical fluoride treatment; and to assess the use of a glass ionomer and a visible light cured microfilled restorative system for the restoration of root carious lesions. Six hundred randomly selected subjects 60 years of age or older will participate in the program. The Root Caries Index of each subject will be determined by clinical examination. The subjects will be randomly divided into 3 subgroups of 200 each. The subjects in group I (control group) will receive no preventive dental treatment but will be given a placebo mouthrinse for daily use. The subjects in group II will receive a topical fluoride application semiannually and will be given a placebo mouthrinse for daily use. The subjects in group III will receive the fluoride mouthrinse with the active ingredient for daily use. The subjects will be examined annually to determine the root caries incidence. Pretreatment cementum biopsies for fluoride analysis will be performed on one tooth of each of the 600 subjects at the start of the program and the posttreatment biopsies will be done during the fifth year. From the 600 subjects, 200 with at least two readily accessible root caries lesions will be selected randomly. One of the lesions will be restored with a glass ionomer cement and the other with a visible light cured microfilled resin and the restortions will be evaluated annually. Once reasonably firm trends are observed defining the magitude of root caries and suggesting potential preventive action and restorative procedures, the long-term objectives are to develop an educational and preventive program fo the non-institutionalized segment of the aging population.
| Wallace, M C; Retief, D H; Bradley, E L (1993) The 48-month increment of root caries in an urban population of older adults participating in a preventive dental program. J Public Health Dent 53:133-7 |
| Wallace, M C; Retief, D H; Bradley, E L (1988) Incidence of root caries in older adults. Hawaii Dent J 19:8 |
