The Oral Health Center has been selected as one of four sites in the United States to participate in clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a chlorhexidine dental coating in treating adults with caries (cavities).

The Prevention of Adult Caries Study (PACS) will test whether a chlorhexidine dental coating will reduce dental caries increment among at-risk adults over a 13-month observation period. The phase III clinical trial, which is funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and the National Institutes of Health, represents the last step before FDA approval of this new medication. Participants will be recruited from four diverse communities in the United States served by distinctly different dental care delivery systems. These centers will include a pre-paid, fee-for-service plan offered by the largest provider of dental insurance in America (Oral Health Center, Southborough, MA); a progressive pre-paid managed care plan (Kaiser Permanente, Portland, OR); an inner-city community-based program that serves primarily those without dental insurance (Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA); and a rural dental program serving a Native American population at very high risk for caries (Tuba City, AZ).

The OHC's affiliate, the Catalyst Institute, will help lead the study. Two hundred adult dental patients will be recruited.

Oral Health Center President and study investigator, Dr. Peter Blanchard, highlighted the importance of this grant award, "This study allows the Oral Health Center to develop national partnerships through which we can investigate the latest advances in improving oral health."

For more information on the study, contact the Oral Health Center at 508-624-0202.

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