Special Report: Cavity Killers

You brush, you floss, and still you end up at the dentist with cavities. It's a trip most of us would rather skip.

But instead of a little drill and fill, what if a little dab will do you - and you never get another cavity again. Its called "replacement therapy". The idea - create a "good" bacteria that's able to "replace" any "bad" cavity causing bacteria in the mouth.

Dr. Jeffrey Hillman, Oragenics
"It's a really simple approach, a natural approach."

Dr. Jeff Hillman conceived the idea 25 years ago while working in Boston. He and his colleagues took a strain of bacteria called streptoccocous. They genetically modified it so it doesn't turn the sugar we eat into lactic acid. No lactic acid - no tooth decay.

Dr. Jeffrey Hillman, Oragenics
"It naturally produces an antibiotic-like molecule that's capable of killing the "bad guys", the disease-causing strains of this organism."

A dentist simply rubs the modified, or "good", bacteria on the teeth. The painless procedure takes about five minutes and needs a year to take full effect. At the Forsythe Institute in Boston, they are looking at a cavity vaccine. It would be delivered through the nose, similar to the flu vaccine. The idea isn't to replace the bacteria, like replacement therapy - but prevent it from developing in the first place.

Dan Smith, Forsythe Institute
"Our approach is to deliver it internasally in a nasal spray that would stimulate the antibody formation."

Both the spray and replacement therapy would be given to young children, around the same time as other vaccinations. But neither of these treatments would mean you could throw away your toothbrush. There are still other bacterias in your mouth, and daily brushing is the best way to fight bad breath and gum disease.

But some day, you may not hear that proud plea, "Look mom, no cavities!" because they may be a thing of the past.