Fissure Caries Inhibition Study With Solea CO2-9.3μm Short-pulsed Laser

The study is designed as randomized, single blind, prospective, split mouth controlled, clinical trial over 12 months. The subjects for this study will be recruited from the UCSF School of Dentistry. Patients meeting the inclusion criteria from the UCSF Predoctoral, Postgraduate Pediatric Dental and Postgraduate orthodontic clinics will have the study explained to them and be invited to participate.

Young patients with moderate/high caries risk will be invited to enroll into the study. They will have to have a pair of two molars which have not been treated so far and are caries free and not sealed. The molar on patient's dominant side (right or left) will be randomly assigned to either the test or the control group with the contralateral non-dominant side receiving the other treatment. The test tooth will be treated with CO2 laser irradiation and fluoride varnish; the control tooth will receive fluoride varnish treatment alone.

A baseline visual inspection using ICDAS II, white and blue light digital photographs (SOPROLIFE), and DIAGNOdent assessments will be made by a dentist prior to treatment.

The patient will be asked to return for a 6-month and a 12-month follow up exam, at which time visual inspection with all testing methods will be conducted by the dentist who originally completed the baseline exam. The endpoint of the study for each participant will be when either the control or test tooth is found to have significant demineralization by ICDAS assessment (ICDAS code 3 - "localized enamel breakdown without clinical visual signs of dentinal involvement") or at the 12 month exam, whichever comes first.

The control and test teeth might be sealed with a dental sealant at the end of the study. All data obtained will be analyzed for statistical significance.

Inclusion criteria

• age 6 or older, in good general health
• subject is of moderate or high caries risk according to CAMBRA
• has at least one pair of unsealed molars in at least one jaw with need for a sealant
• teeth with an ICDAS code 0, 1 and 2 with deep grooves and fissures providing an anatomical stick for an explorer
• willing to comply with all study procedures and protocols
• must be able to read and understand English
• have an understanding of the study
• residing in San Francisco or other nearby locales with community water fluoridation (to eliminate water fluoridation as a potential confounding variable)
• patient and parent/guardian able to provide written informed consent in English
• willing to sign the "Authorization for Release of Personal Health Information and Use of Personally Unidentified Study Data for Research" form; data will only be used for research.

Exclusion criteria

• show evidence of extremely poor oral hygiene
• subjects suffering from systemic diseases, significant past or medical history with conditions that may affect oral health or oral flora (i.e. diabetes, HIV, heart conditions that require antibiotic prophylaxis),
• taking medications that may affect the oral flora or salivary flow (e.g. antibiotic use in the past three months, drugs associated with dry mouth / xerostomia [extreme high caries risk])
• other conditions that may decrease the likelihood of adhering to study protocol
• subjects who will leave the area and are unable to complete the study