Complementary Naturopathic Medicine for Periodontitis
Public ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT00010634. Field values are reproduced from the official study page; the official ClinicalTrials.gov record remains the source of truth for eligibility, enrollment, and contact information.
Data is sourced from official ClinicalTrials.gov public API records. Always review the official ClinicalTrials.gov record for the latest information.
Brief summary
Reproduced verbatim from the official ClinicalTrials.gov record. Not medical advice.
This study aims to assess selected naturopathic medicines for adult periodontitis and to identify variables that influence successful outcomes when traditional and alternative approaches to preventing and treating periodontal diseases are combined. Collaboration between Kaiser Permanente, Oregon Health Science University and the National College of Naturopathic Medicine provides an unsurpassed environment for such investigations. Periodontitis is a major cause of tooth loss and negatively impacts systemic health. The limitations of traditional periodontal treatment have compelled scientists and clinicians to investigate new remedies, and naturopathic medicine holds several promising interventions. Because they are used to improve elements of host resistance that are known to be important in periodontal health and disease, three naturopathic medicines are potential adjuncts in preventing and treating periodontitis. Connective tissue components are enzymatically degraded in periodontitis. In naturopathy, Connective Tissue Nutrient Formula (CTNF) (vitamins A, C and D, glucosamine sulfate, oligoproanthocyanindins, copper, zinc, manganese, boron, silicon, magnesium, and calcium) is prescribed specifically to enhance the integrity of key connective tissue elements and improve their resistance to degradation. Periodontitis begins when permeability of the oral sulcular epithelium permits pathogenic bacterial components to invade deeper periodontal connective tissues. In naturopathy, glutamine is prescribed to reduce oral-intestinal epithelial membrane permeability. Chronic activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during the stress response, is a risk factor for periodontitis. Adaptogenic herbs (AH) (Panax ginseng, Withania somnifera and Eleutherococcus senticosus) are prescribed by naturopathic physicians to reverse the impact of bacterial and psychosocial stressors. Because glutamine, CTNF and AH target pathophysiologic mechanisms known to underline periodontitis, they are compelling candidates in clinical and mechanistic investigations of complementary medicine approaches to the management of periodontitis. Kaiser Permanente adult periodontitis patients will serve as subjects and receive standard periodontal treatment. Three of the four randomly assigned groups will also receive supplements of glutamine, CTNF, or AH. We will determine the effects of these supplements on clinical outcomes (attachment loss, pocket depths, indicators of inflammation, plaque composition, need for periodontal surgery, acute periodontal problems, tooth loss). In addition to completing the battery of self-report measures (stress, coping, quality of life), study subjects will provide samples of blood, saliva, gingival cervicular fluid and bacterial dental plaque. These samples will be examined as part of the Laboratory Core to identify biologic and genetic characteristics that correlate with successful outcomes. Storage of portions of the samples will allow future examination of additional variables as part of the Developmental Projects carried out as the Craniofacial Complementary \& Alternative Center is established and Phase III trials are undertaken.
Study identification
- NCT ID
- NCT00010634
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Enrollment
- Not listed
Conditions and interventions
Conditions
Eligibility (public fields only)
- Age range
- 35 Years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Healthy volunteers not accepted
This page does not interpret eligibility. Detailed inclusion and exclusion criteria are on the official ClinicalTrials.gov record.
Study timeline
- Start date
- Aug 31, 1999
- Primary completion
- Not listed
- Completion
- Jun 30, 2004
- Last update posted
- Aug 17, 2006
1999 – 2004
United States locations
- U.S. sites
- 1
- U.S. states
- 1
- U.S. cities
- 1
| Facility | City | State | ZIP | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) | Portland | Oregon | — | — |
Site contact phone numbers, emails, and investigator names are intentionally not displayed here. Open the official ClinicalTrials.gov record for site contact information.
About this trial record page
- What this page shows
- Public field values for ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT00010634, including study identification, conditions, interventions, eligibility (age, sex, healthy volunteer), timeline, and U.S. site list.
- What this page does not do
- No medical advice, eligibility judgments, treatment recommendations, study quality scoring, or AI-generated medical summaries. No site contact phone numbers, emails, or investigator names.
- Where the data comes from
- Sourced from the official ClinicalTrials.gov public API. The official record is the source of truth.
- Last refresh
- Last update posted Aug 17, 2006 · Synced Sep 13, 2026
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Open the official record
The complete protocol, eligibility criteria, and contact information for NCT00010634 live on ClinicalTrials.gov.