Periodontal vaccines: Need of an hour

Periodontal diseases are immune inflammatory responses induced by microorganisms in dental plaque which contributes to tissue destruction, bone loss and eventually tooth loss. Moderate to severe periodontitis affects more than 50 percent of population over the age of 65. It is also associated with diabetes, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, dementia and certain cancer. Current treatment modalities have resulted only in arresting the disease progression but have no solution for curing the disease or to prevent the recurrence. Hence there is a need for more sophisticated therapeutic modalities which may include vaccines targeting putative periodontal pathogens. Periodontal vaccines could emerge as an adjunct to mechanical therapy in future.