Dean Mark S. Wolff Shares IADR/AADR 2020 William J. Gies Award for Clinical Research

Mark D. Wolff, Morton Amsterdam Dean

Philadelphia – Penn Dental Medicine Dean Mark S. Wolff has been recognized for his research by the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) and American Association for Dental Research (AADR) as a recipient of the 2020 IADR/AADR William J. Gies Award for clinical research. The Gies Awards are presented annually in three categories (biological research, biomaterials and bioengineering research, and clinical research) for the best papers published in the IADR/AADR’s Journal of Dental Research.

Dean Wolff, who is also a Professor in the Department of Preventive & Restorative Sciences, received the clinical research award, along with his co-authors (O. Urquhart, M.P. Tampi, L. Pilcher, R.L. Slayton, M.W.B. Araujo, M. Fontana, S. Guzmán-Armstrong, M.M. Nascimento, B.B. Nový, N. Tinanoff, R.J. Weyant, D.A. Young, D.T. Zero, R. Brignardello-Petersen, L. Banfield, A. Parikh, G. Joshi) for the paper titled “Nonrestorative Treatments for Caries: Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis,” J Dent Res 98(1): 14-26, 2019.

This systematic review and network meta-analysis summarizes the available evidence on nonrestorative caries treatments (not using the drill) for arresting or reversing noncavitated (early tooth decay) and cavitated carious lesions (cavities) on primary and permanent teeth; it also provides a review of the evidence for and adverse events seen with varied treatment modalities. The review provides clinicians with clinic ready guidance on how to best treat their patients on a daily basis. Findings from the authors’ four network meta-analyses suggested that sealants + 5% sodium fluoride (NaF) varnish, resin infiltration + 5% NaF varnish, and 5,000-ppm F (1.1% NaF) toothpaste or gel were the most effective for arresting or reversing noncavitated occlusal, approximal, and noncavitated and cavitated root carious lesions on primary and/or permanent teeth, respectively (low- to moderate-certainty evidence). In addition, the study-level data indicated that 5% NaF varnish was the most effective for arresting or reversing noncavitated facial/lingual carious lesions (low certainty) and that 38% silver diamine fluoride solution applied biannually was the most effective for arresting advanced cavitated carious lesions on any coronal surface (moderate to high certainty).

“While preventing the onset of caries is the ultimate goal of a caries management plan, our review provides important guidelines for nonrestorative management of carious lesions when disease is present,” says Dean Wolff.

The Gies Awards — named for William J. Gies, the founder of the Journal of Dental Research — are normally presented as part of the IADR/AADR annual session; with this year’s meeting cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 awards were presented locally.