Fluoridated bottled water to help prevent cavities in young children
Official title: Phase II, proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial to evaluate dental caries preventive effects of fluoridated bottle water
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11160465 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project gives fluoridated bottled water to infants and young children in a community without fluoridated tap water to try to reduce tooth decay.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2021 |
| Project end | September 16, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,182,461 |
| NIH project number | 5UH3DE029169-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11160465 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are newborns and young children who live in communities without fluoridated public water and whose families are willing to use study-provided bottled water.
✕Less likely to help
Children who already receive fluoridated tap water or whose families do not use the study bottled water consistently may not receive benefit.
What this research studies
You would be asked to enroll a newborn in a phase II proof-of-concept randomized trial where babies are randomly assigned to receive fluoridated bottled water or non-fluoridated bottled water during early childhood. About 470 infants born over one year in Kinston, North Carolina will be followed and their teeth checked for cavities. Study staff will track how families use the bottled water, collect oral health information, and monitor dental outcomes. The aim is to see whether providing fluoridated bottled water is practical for families and can lower dental caries in young children.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower tooth decay in young children and offer a practical option for families in areas without fluoridated tap water.
How similar studies have gone: Observational and non-randomized community studies have long linked water fluoridation to fewer cavities, but a randomized trial of fluoridated bottled water is novel and untested.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Slade, Gary Douglas — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Slade, Gary Douglas
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Fluoridated bottled water to prevent cavities in young children
A large, patient-facing trial tests whether having fluoridated drinking water in bottled form can prevent tooth decay in children from infancy to early childhood.
-
Evaluating the effects of fluoridated bottled water on dental health in children
This study is looking at whether drinking fluoridated bottled water can help prevent cavities in kids who live in places without fluoridated tap water, and it involves about 470 babies from Kinston, NC.
-
Cognitive behavioral therapy and trazodone for insomnia phenotypes with high blood pressure
A clinical study tests how CBT-I and the sleep drug trazodone work for adults with insomnia and high blood pressure, focusing on a specific sleep duration pattern.
-
Shorter antifungal treatment for kids with candidemia
A multi-center pediatric trial tests whether a shorter, 7 extra days of antifungal therapy after an initial 7 days is just as good as the standard 14-day approach for kids with candidemia who are improving on echinocandin therapy.
-
Short Course vs Standard Course Antifungal Therapy for Pediatric Candidemia
This study tests whether a shorter 7-day total antifungal treatment after an initial 7 days of echinocandin therapy is as effective as the usual 14-day course for children with candidemia.
-
Shorter antifungal treatment for kids with candidemia
A multi-center study tests whether kids with candidemia can finish treatment earlier after an initial week of antifungal therapy than the standard two weeks total.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.