Dental News

  Caries vaccine (tooth decay vaccine)

A research team at Guys Dental Hospital in London has been working on a caries vaccine for a number of years. Previously the research has been mainly academic but phase 2 clinical trials are now underway and a vaccine could be available within five years. The vaccine, produced from genetically modified plants, reacts with the bacteria, which is thought to be most commonly associated with tooth decay. Specifically, it prevents these bacteria (streptococcus mutans) from binding to the tooth and therefore halts the decay process before it can begin.

The vaccination technique is thought to be safe and should provide protection from tooth decay for a year. The vaccine is simply applied to the teeth and requires no injections. It will most likely be available as a mouthrinse or gel and will be applied under the supervision of a dentist. This new development may not eradicate tooth decay forever but it is certainly a welcome innovation and would be of great value if proven as safe and effective as early results suggest.

Dental issues in sports nutrition

New guidelines have been produced following a conference held at the Royal Society of Medicine to raise the dental professions awareness of the dental needs of sports people. The dental health of athletes, both professional and recreational, has recently come under attack by the increased consumption of sports drinks and high sugar energy bars.

Sports drinks present a particular risk as they are often very high in sugar and acidic in content. This leads to two problems; tooth decay and dental erosion. Erosion results from the action of these acidic drinks on the tooth enamel which is slowly demineralised and washed away. This exposes the underlying dentine and weakens the tooth often leading to fractures and in extreme cases the death of the dental pulp and the loss of the tooth. The consumption of these drinks has markedly increased in recent years and they have become an integral part of many athletes training regime. It is unrealistic to expect everyone to avoid these drinks so the following advice should help to reduce the risk

  • Drink quickly rather than sipping slowly
  • Do not hold them in or swish them around the mouth
  • Use a straw
  • Drink them chilled, warmer drinks are more erosive
  • Rinse your mouth with water after using these drinks

The BDA has produced a leaflet which may be attained by sending a sae marked "Sports/ Dental health" to

The Education and Science department
The British Dental Association
64 Wimpole St
London W1M 8AL