Periodontal vaccines: Where we are now and where we can go

Abstract

Edward Jenner devised and established the notion of vaccination in the late 18th century, using the cross-protection offered by the cowpox virus, which is not dangerous to humans. In adults, periodontal diseases with their multi-microbial etiology are a leading cause of tooth loss. Current treatment approaches have only been able to stop the disease’s progression; neither do they totally cure the condition nor stop it from returning. As a result, there is a need for more advanced therapeutic approaches, which may include vaccines that target potential periodontal bacteria. A boon to periodontics is the periodontal vaccination. No periodontal vaccine study has been able to fully meet all of the criteria for the ideal periodontal vaccine. The goal of the periodontal vaccination is to pinpoint the antigens implicated in the periodontitis damaging process that antibodies would be induced to guard against. In the future, periodontal vaccinations might become a supplement to mechanical therapy. To reduce the morbidity associated with periodontal disease in humans, eliminating the worldwide burden of periodontal disease would be the demanding primary function of any periodontal vaccination. This paper focuses on bringing to light the current approaches to periodontal vaccinations and what the future might have in store as far as this issue is concerned.