http://www.babycenter.com/news/20010924.html#1179990

 

Vaccines in the works to prevent tooth decay

Children may no longer have to fear the sinister hum of the dentist's drill. Researchers on both sides of the Atlantic are working on vaccines that may protect against tooth decay.

At Boston's Forsyth Institute, a nonprofit research institute, scientists have developed a vaccine that contains a protein made by the organisms that cause tooth decay. When a person gets the vaccine, either by nasal spray or nose drops, the protein stimulates an immune response in the saliva that stops bacteria from accumulating on the teeth.

The plan is to immunize children starting when they're a year old (the age at which bacteria-produced plaque begins to build on teeth), then follow up with another immunization when adult teeth come in.

Clinical trials on a group of 18- to 24-year-olds have shown the vaccine to be effective in warding off bacteria, and the vaccine's developers say it is safe. "Much of the concern with vaccines has to do with the fact that they are living microorganisms," says scientist Daniel J. Smith, senior member of the staff at the Institute. "Our vaccine is just a protein, so it's a non-living vaccine."

Researchers at Guy's Hospital in London are working on another immunization, one that uses a plant-based antibody to attack tooth bacteria instead of human antibodies.

What you can do
Smith says it may be ten years before a dental vaccine is widely available in the United States. In the meantime, brushing teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste is the best way to keep cavities at bay.

Read more about caring for your baby's or toddler's teeth.

— By Stephanie Watson

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.