A daily drink of milk could soon be on the menu to help prevent tooth decay. The approach works with rats and should also work in humans according to a Japanese research team.
Scientists from the Kyushu University in Japan vaccinated cows against Streptococcus mutans, a bacteria strongly associated with tooth decay. They describe their research in the current issue of the journal, Infection and Immunity.
After vaccination the cows produced antibodies against the bacterium and these active antibodies were then expressed in the milk.
When this antibody rich milk was given to rats infected with Smutans their level of dental caries was "significantly less" than in rats that received milk from cows that had not been vaccinated.
Smutans is a bacteria that sticks to teeth. Its presence is associated with dental caries, researchers believe that it is one of the key bacterial forms linked to decay.
Bacteria in the mouth react with the sugars in food to produce acids which eat away at tooth enamel. This exposes the softer material and speeds the decay process.
Antibodies are created by animals including humans after infection by a bacteria or virus and are in place and ready to attack the organism the next time an infection occurs.
"In this study immune milk clearly suppressed caries development in a rat model. This immune milk might be an effective tool for controlling dental caries in humans," they conclude.
