Healthy Plaque Study
Background
The healthy human mouth contains over 700 species of bacteria, some of which grow on the teeth as dental plaque. The Valm laboratory is interested in understanding what role these bacteria, collectively called the microbiome, play in keeping us healthy. We have developed a "dental plaque on a chip" system that allows us to grow human dental plaque in the lab so that we can study its spatial structure. In order to grow the dental plaque, we need a starter culture. For this, we collect dental plaque from healthy volunteers and let it grow on an artificial tooth surface in the lab.
Fluorescence image of dental plaque on a chip grown in the Valm laboratory.
Participation and procedures
Participation in this study is completely voluntary. If you participate, you will be asked to not perform oral hygiene procedures for 48 hours, this includes brushing or flossing your teeth or using mouthwash. After 48 hours, volunteers will come in to visit the lab to donate saliva and dental plaque. You will be given a tube to spit in for about 30 minutes. You will also be given dental floss and asked to floss your teeth, then deposit the floss in collection tubes. The entire process should take about 45 minutes.
Eligibility
In order to participate in this study, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:
1. You must be 18 years old or older
2. You must not have taken antibiotics in the 6 months previous to your participation.
3. You must not normally take antibiotics before dental procedures to prevent infectious endocarditis, also known as I.E.
4. You must not have had a confirmed positive COVID-19 diagnosis within 14 days of your visit.
5. You must not have experienced any symptoms of COVID-19 infection within 10 days of your visit. These symptoms are:
1. Fever or chills
2. Cough
3. Shortness of breath
or difficulty breathing
4. Fatigue, muscle or body aches
5. Headache
6. New loss of taste or smell
7. Sore throat
8. Congestion or runny nose
9. Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
6. You must not have had close contact with someone who has received a confirmed COVID-19 diagnostic test within 10 days of your visit to the lab.
Compensation
You will receive a $75 Amazon gift card for participating in the study at the time that you make your plaque and saliva donations. You will also be given a travel size toothbrush, toothpaste, and a bottle of water.
Risks
The risks for participating in the study are assumed to be minimal. You may experience or perceive to experience bad breath from not brushing your teeth for 48 hours. This is expected to be temporary and will go away after you resume brushing your teeth.
Benefits
There is no direct benefit to you for participating in this study; however, you will be helping advance our knowledge of healthy dental plaque and bacteria in the mouth. This could lead to better treatments for gum disease and other conditions in the future.
Confidentiality
Your participation in this study will be kept strictly confidential. No identifying characteristics about you such as your name will be associated with your plaque and saliva donation. Instead, it will be assigned a barcode number. Because the plaque and saliva samples are anonymous, once you provide these samples to us, they cannot be withdrawn from the study at a later date.
Research at the University Albany involving human participants is carried out under the oversight of the Institutional Review Board (IRB). This research has been reviewed and approved by the IRB. If you have any questions concerning your rights as a research subject or if you wish to report any concerns about the study, you may contact University at Albany Office for Pre-Award and Compliance Services.
Institutional Review Board
University at Albany
Office of Regulatory and Research Compliance
1400 Washington Ave, ES 244
Albany, NY 12222
Phone: 1-866-857-5459 Email: rco@albany.edu
How to enroll or learn more about the study
If you meet the eligibility criteria and would like to participate in the study, please call Dr. Natalya Prokopenko Monday through Friday 9:00am - 3:30 pm at 518-442-4343 to learn more about the study and to schedule a time to make a saliva and plaque donation. If you have any questions, you may also contact Dr. Prokopenko by email at:
E-mail: nprokopenko@albany.edu
If you have questions for Dr. Valm about the study, feel free to use this form: