A new mouthwash developed by a microbiologist is highly successful in targeting the harmful Streptococcus mutans bacteria that is the principal cause tooth decay and cavities, research shows.
Tag: streptococcus
A team of scientists from Boston has confirmed that the bacterium Streptococcus mutans is a primary culprit in early childhood caries (EEC) cavities on the first set of teeth, and has identified a new species of bacterium, Scardovia wiggsiae, which they suspect is also a major contributor.
A University of Oklahoma environmental science graduate student will travel to Ethiopia in June to test materials she has been investigating as possible solutions to fluorosis — a widespread problem in the Rift Valley, where high levels of fluoride in the drinking water result in dental and skeletal disease.
Investigators from Japan show in vitro that the bacterium Streptococcus salivarius, a non-biofilm forming, and otherwise harmless inhabitant of the human mouth, actually inhibits the formation of dental biofilms, otherwise known as plaque. Two enzymes this bacteria produces are responsible for this inhibition.
If you’re lucky, it will all be kisses and hugs around the Thanksgiving dinner table, with friends and family gathered about, and puppies at your feet waiting for table scraps. But peace won’t reign within the confines of the oral cavity; your meal will enable Streptococcus mutans to launch one of its biggest assaults of the year on your tooth enamel. But dinner also offers some leads on new ways to stop cavities.