Fontana/González Lab and Clinical Research Unit

The University of Michigan School of Dentistry

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ABOUT

The Fontana/González Lab and Clinical Research Unit's main goal is to increase our understanding of dental caries and improve its clinical management.

The research team conducts in vitro and clinical studies. Currently, several clinical studies assessing different strategies for caries risk assessment in children and evaluating non-operative management of cavitated caries lesions in young children are being conducted. In the in vitro side, numerous studies evaluating different caries preventive strategies in a variety of chemical and biofilm models are being conducted.

DIRECTORS

carlos gonzalez

Carlos González-Cabezas, DDS, MSD, PhD
Richard Christiansen Collegiate Professor of Oral and Craniofacial Global Initiatives
Professor of Dentistry, Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences and Endodontics, School of Dentistry
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

carlosgc@umich.edu | 734-763-5651

Dr. González-Cabezas is a Professor in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences and Endodontics and the Richard Christiansen Collegiate Professor of Oral and Craniofacial Global Initiatives at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. He also serves as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Dr. González-Cabezas is regularly engaged in numerous research projects; many of them in collaboration with other institutions from all over the world. Dr. González has particular interest in secondary caries, dental erosion-abrasion, remineralization, fluorides, and oral health products in general (e.g., dentifrices, rinses, toothbrushes, etc.).

margherita fontana

Margherita Fontana, DDS, PhD
Clifford Nelson Endowed Professor of Dentistry

mfontan@umich.edu | 734-647-1225

Margherita Fontana, DDS, PhD, is the Clifford Nelson Endowed Professor of Dentistry in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences and Endodontics at University of Michigan School of Dentistry (U-M). She is currently co-director of Cariology courses, and cariology discipline co-coordinator at U-M. As a principal investigator, she has received research grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry, the Delta Dental Fund, DentaQuest, and private industry amongst others. She has over 125 papers published in peer reviewed journals, such as Journal of Dental Research, Caries Research, Journal of Dental Education, Pediatric Dentistry, Advances in Dental Research, Journal of Public Health Dentistry, Journal of the American Dental Association, British Dental Journal, etc. She was the 2007-2008 President of the Cariology Group of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), and the 2010-2011 Chair of the Cariology Section of ADEA. In 2012 she received the USA Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for her work on caries risk assessment in children. She was the 2009 winner of the IADR Cariology Research Group’s Basil G. Bibby Award in Cariology, and in 2016 winner of the IADR Burrows Memorial Award.

PROJECTS

PREDICTING CARIES RISK FROM TODDLERS TO THE SCHOOL-AGE YEARS, IN PRIMARY MEDICAL SETTINGS (NIH GRANT)

OVERVIEW

Dental caries, one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood, is a largely preventable disease, yet approximately 23% of U.S. children 2-5 years-of-age experience dental caries, and this number more than doubles to 56% among those aged 6-8. In the current environment of escalating healthcare costs and resource constraints, the large disparities in caries experience and access to care that exist in the U.S., especially among low socioeconomic status (SES) and minority population groups, call for a greater focus on targeted (at the patient and tooth surface level), risk-based caries preventive and therapeutic strategies to be delivered through interprofessional partnerships, including primary healthcare settings.

READ FULL ABSTRACT

EFFECTIVENESS OF SILVER DIAMINE FLUORIDE (SDF) IN ARRESTING CAVITATED CARIES LESIONS (NIH GRANT)

OVERVIEW

This trial is a Phase III, multisite, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, with two parallel groups. The groups are SDF or placebo and they are applied every 6 months. The primary hypothesis of the trial is that SDF is better than placebo for stopping cavities with dentin exposed in baby teeth when assessed at 6 months after initial application.

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EFFECTIVENESS OF SILVER DIAMINE FLUORIDE AS A TREATMENT FOR CARIES IN COMPARISON TO TRADITIONAL RESTORATIVE TECHNIQUES

OVERVIEW

The purpose of this study is to compare standard fillings and silver diamine fluoride (SDF) for treatment of cavities in baby teeth. The investigators will compare the effectiveness of stopping the cavity, cost of the treatments and the opinions of the families and the dental providers.

READ FULL ABSTRACT

PUBLICATIONS

The most recent publications are reported below.


View the complete listing of publications.

TEAM

shahd almasswary

Shahd Almasswary

masswary@umich.edu

andrew chen

Andrew C. Chen

ccandrew@umich.edu

Emma Audree Cozier

Emma Cozier

ecozier@umich.edu

Susan E Flannagan

Susan Flannagan

sflannag@umich.edu

karl hall

Karl Hall

karlhall@umich.edu

Loai Wadea A Hazzazi

Loai Wadea Hazzazi

lhazzazi@umich.edu

nathan jones

Nathan Jones

najone@umich.edu

Meredith M McEachern

Meredith McEachern

mmceache@umich.edu

Brennan Metzler

Brennan Metzler

brmetz@umich.edu

mariah newton

Mariah Newton

Elizabeth Pitts

Elizabeth Pitts, RDH, BSDH

eieaster@umich.edu

Abdullah Khalid Radhwan

Abdullah Khalid Radhwan

aradhwan@umich.edu

Maimoonah Riaz

Maimoonah Riaz

monariaz@umich.edu

Ly Julie Van

Ly Julie Van

vanlyj@umich.edu

Emily Rose Yanca

Emily Yanca

emthorpe@umich.edu

CONTACT

Clinical Research Unit
Attn: Emily Yanca, Data/Clinical Study Manager
University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Room 2331
1011 N University Ave,
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
emthorpe@med.umich.edu
734-763-3988
Laboratory Research Unit
Attn: Susan Flannagan MA, Research Associate
University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Room 1051
1011 N University Ave,
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
sflannag@umich.edu
734-763-3330