Effectiveness of a Nutritional Counseling Tool in Reducing the Amount and Frequency of Sugar Intake

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Dental Cavity; Caries,Dental

• Registration Number: NCT06673342
• Lead Sponsor: Loma Linda University

Brief Summary

The purpose of the study is to assess the effectiveness of nutritional counselling on added sugar consumption, frequency of snacking and caries experiences expressed as Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth score (DMFT).

Detailed Description

The study involves two visits: the first lasting approximately 30-45 minutes, and the second about 15 minutes that occurs 2 weeks after the first visit.

Procedures and Activities. Subjects will be assigned to either the control or intervention group by the toss of a coin. Subjects will provide information about their personal health history, including age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Subjects will undergo an oral examination to assess dental health through a DMFT score, which measures decayed, missing, and filled teeth. Additionally, the daily added sugar consumption will be calculated using an app called "Sugar Intake calculator." For the control group, no further nutritional advice will be given, while participants in the intervention group will receive additional guidance on sugar consumption using a tool called Stephan's curve. A log will be given to the subjects to track their daily snacking frequency and what type and amount of snack it entailed. After two weeks, subjects will return for a follow-up to evaluate any changes in dental health, sugar consumption, and snacking habits.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2024-11-01
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-11-01
• Study First Posted: 2024-11-04
• Study Start: 2024-11-13
• Primary Completion: 2024-12-31
• Study Completion: 2024-12-31
• Status Verified: 2025-03
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-03-12
• Last Update Posted: 2025-03-13

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 100

Inclusion Criteria

• Subjects are 18 years or older
• Subjects who will comply with study protocol
• Subjects who can read and speak English
• Subjects available during the study period

Exclusion Criteria

• Subjects under the age of 18
• Subjects have less than 20 teeth

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in snacking frequency between baseline and 2 weeks	Time frame is two weeks: from baseline to the 2 weeks follow-up visit	Subjects will self-report the snacking frequency per day at baseline and at 2 weeks. Snacking is defined as any food intake besides breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Change in amount of added sugar consumption during snacking between baseline and 2 weeks.	Time frame is two weeks: from baseline to the 2 weeks follow-up visit	Added sugar consumption will be calculated using the "Sugar intake calculator" app at baseline and at 2 weeks follow-up. The sugar intake calculator is a free app that can generate the amount of added sugar in snacks, providing the amount in grams. Subjects will self-report the snacks that they have been consuming. The added sugar threshold for cavities is set at 40 gram/day.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in DMFT score between baseline two weeks	Time frame is two weeks: from baseline to the 2 weeks follow-up visit	Caries experiences is expressed as Decayed, Missing, Filled teeth and can range from 0 to 28. The higher the score the higher the caries experiences. The study investigators are going visually examine subjects' teeth and determine the DMFT score.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Loma Linda University Health; 🇺🇸 Loma Linda, California, United States