Dr Michael Sultan
I have spoken about vaccinations before because it has been a topical subject of late given the pandemic and a general rise in once eradicated diseases. However, I was intrigued to come across a study[i] that suggests a new and rather innovative delivery system for vaccines in the future – dental floss!
New research
The research was recently published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, exploring whether flat string floss could administer sufficient vaccine to afford protection against specific diseases. Initial thinking creates a hypothesis that floss laced with proteins and inactive virus would effectively transfer these substances to the host as they enter the body through the interdental gingival spaces.
The pilot study, conducted in mice, administered the vaccine by flossing every two weeks for 28 days, before exposing the test subjects to a lethal strain of flu. All test-group mice not only survived, but had also developed a more widespread immune response, with flu antibodies detected in their faeces, saliva and bone marrow.
As the research moves into human testing, it has so far evaluated access of string floss, finding that food dye on the product was detected on the gingival about 60% of the time. Further study is required to determine the viability of such a vaccination method, although the implications so far are somewhat promising – especially if the reliability of delivery can be increased.
Expanding role of dentistry
If such a concept is successfully developed, it could help to overcome another barrier to vaccination for thousands of people worldwide. It is estimated that approximately 10% of adults in the UK have a fear or phobia of needles[ii] – furthermore, this is expected to reduce vaccination uptake by an estimated 10% too.[iii]
This is just one more example of the expanding role of the modern dental professional, demonstrating the unique connections between oral and systemic health. It comes at a time when colleagues are introducing new screening services as part of a holistic approach to care.
For example, early diabetes testing is growing in popularity, requiring a simple questionnaire and finger-prick blood test.[iv] Several dental practices are also offering vitamin D testing as a way to assess bone health and immunity strength.[v] Another systemic health screening is taking patients’ blood pressure to assess their risk of cardiovascular issues.[vi] Out involvement with vaccinations would certainly be a feasible next step.
[i] Ingrole, R.S.J., Shakya, A.K., Joshi, G. et al. Floss-based vaccination targets the gingival sulcus for mucosal and systemic immunization. Nat. Biomed. Eng (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-025-01451-3
[ii] British Heart Foundation. Needle phobia: how to get over your fear of needles. June2021. https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/medical/phobia-of-needles [Accessed July 2025]
[iii] University of Oxford. Treating needle fears may reduce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rates by 10%. June 2021. https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-06-16-treating-needle-fears-may-reduce-covid-19-vaccine-hesitancy-rates-10 [Accessed July 2025]
[iv] University of Birmingham. From dental chair to diabetes care: patient experience highlights potential of new screening pathway. March 2025. https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2025/from-dental-chair-to-diabetes-care-patient-experience-highlights-potential-of-new-screening-pathway [Accessed July 2025]
[v] Dental practice intr5oduces vitamin D testing. Dental Nursing. May 2025. https://www.dental-nursing.co.uk/content/news/dental-practice-introduces-vitamin-d-testing [Accessed July 2025]
[vi] Ground-breaking pilot introduces free blood pressure checks at participating dental practices. Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System. May 2025. https://www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/news/ground-breaking-pilot-introduces-free-blood-pressure-checks-at-participating-dental-practices/ [Accessed July 2025]
