Queensland awards $300k to child decay research

A Brisbane researcher has received Queensland Government funding to trial a unique test and mouth rinse to prevent childhood tooth decay.

Queensland Minister for State Development John Mickel yesterday announced Dr Kerrod Hallett, from the Children’s Oral Health Service at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital would receive a Queensland Clinical Research Fellowship (QCRF) valued at $300,000 over three years.

Dr Hallett will evaluate a bacterial test and mouth rinse program to treat tooth decay in high-risk children attending school dental clinics.

“We’ve developed a comprehensive risk assessment tool, involving a questionnaire, to assess children’s future risk of tooth decay,” Dr Hallett said.

“This assessment is based on a number of things such as the child’s medical history, previous infant diet and lifestyle, as well as family background. Commonly, affected children come from low socio-economic, Indigenous, new immigrant and socially disadvantaged families."

“A swab of the child’s mouth and teeth is taken to detect bacteria level, content and activity."

“This information will be used to determine a treatment program with a unique mouth rinse that’s been developed to reduce future tooth decay risk.”

Dr Hallett said the mouth rinse contained active ingredients including a protein called urease, an enzyme secreted by the body through saliva.

“What we found was that children who had chronic renal failure in hospital secreted high levels of urease and never developed tooth decay. We believe the urease may prevent growth of decay-causing bacteria,” Dr Hallett said.

Dr Hallett said this medical approach was more cost effective than traditional surgical intervention such as removing decay and placing fillings in teeth. “We believe tooth decay should be managed like other infectious diseases, such as a chest infection, which use antibacterial treatments to prevent further disease from developing,” he said.

“If high-risk children can be identified early and an effective intervention used, future disease progression by bacterial spread can be significantly controlled. It is hoped the treatment would be universally adopted by school dental services if the clinical trial is a success.”