New Van To Help Researchers Study Gum Disease

A shiny scarlet van will soon help RSDM researchers develop potential treatments for a rare form of gum disease that affects African-American adolescents.

Dr. Dan Fine, chair of the Oral Biology department, stands in front of RSDM's new research van.

The Ford van will travel to schools in Newark and neighboring towns, collecting saliva samples for an NIH-funded study of localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP), which affects two percent of African-American children ages 11 to 17.  Because the disease only affects central incisors and molars, it can result in disfiguring tooth loss and difficulty eating among a demographic that has limited access to dental care.

The research team of Dr. Daniel Fine, head of RSDM's oral biology department, is working to increase the possibility of detecting LAP before it causes the loss of teeth and bone. Fine received $3.2 million from the NIH for the study, which includes the cost of the van.

For nearly a decade, Fine's researchers have worked with more than 2,00o subjects in Newark, monitoring them for signs of LAP at six-month intervals.   The van, branded with the RSDM logo and a dental school ad on the back panel, helps them continue their work. The previous van was more than two decades old and prone to break downs, said Fine.

Although the new van's mission isn't to treat patients, it includes a dentist's chair and other equipment in case on-the-spot treatment is necessary.