no more cavities? sounds wonderful.

[Astral87]

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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,512206,00.html

BASF, the world's largest chemical maker, says it has found a way to prevent cavity-causing bacteria from attacking teeth, a development that could be seen in toothpaste, mouthwash and even candy as early as next year.
Using a microorganism related to those used in yogurt cultures, the Germany-based company said it has engineered a process that clusters harmful bacteria in the mouth before they can bind with sugar and form plaque.
The organism and plaque-causing bacteria are then swallowed as part of the mouth's natural cleaning process.
It's safe to swallow the bacteria, known by the scientific name Streptococcus mutans, because it's regularly found in the mouth and humans already digest it constantly, the company said.
"There is a complex dynamic of bacteria that grow on the teeth," said University of Connecticut Health Center's Jason Tanzer, who studied BASF's results and is presenting his findings at an industry conference Thursday. "They can stick to those surfaces and form a film or they can be swallowed."
As part of his study, Tanzer fed two groups of rats a diet high in sugar, but put BASF's product, known as pro-t-action, in only one group's food.
Tooth decay in the group of rats using pro-t-action was far less pronounced than in the group not using the product, a development that Tanzer said was promising.
"I would be rather optimistic about this product," he said.
The active organism in pro-t-action is effectively dead, meaning it doesn't need to be kept cool — like yogurt — and can be used in a wide array of products like sugar-free candy, gum, toothpaste, and possibly beverages like smoothies. To be effective, the product needs to be in the mouth for about 10 to 15 seconds.
"This is not a replacement" for brushing, said Markus Pompejus, a BASF scientist who helped develop the product. "But it clearly helps to improve your daily oral hygiene."
BASF developed pro-t-action with OrganoBalance, a Berlin-based microbiology company.
The companies are mum on human testing — a necessary precursor before any commercial distribution. Still, BASF hopes to have pro-t-action on store shelves by 2010 or 2011.
The company's stock is traded on exchanges in London and Frankfurt, Germany.

 

[GreekDDS]

Sounds cool, we will all be out of jobs! ha ha

 

[Zubnaya Feya]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,512206,00.html

BASF, the world's largest chemical maker, says it has found a way to prevent cavity-causing bacteria from attacking teeth, a development that could be seen in toothpaste, mouthwash and even candy as early as next year.
Using a microorganism related to those used in yogurt cultures, the Germany-based company said it has engineered a process that clusters harmful bacteria in the mouth before they can bind with sugar and form plaque.
The organism and plaque-causing bacteria are then swallowed as part of the mouth's natural cleaning process.
It's safe to swallow the bacteria, known by the scientific name Streptococcus mutans, because it's regularly found in the mouth and humans already digest it constantly, the company said.
"There is a complex dynamic of bacteria that grow on the teeth," said University of Connecticut Health Center's Jason Tanzer, who studied BASF's results and is presenting his findings at an industry conference Thursday. "They can stick to those surfaces and form a film or they can be swallowed."
As part of his study, Tanzer fed two groups of rats a diet high in sugar, but put BASF's product, known as pro-t-action, in only one group's food.
Tooth decay in the group of rats using pro-t-action was far less pronounced than in the group not using the product, a development that Tanzer said was promising.
"I would be rather optimistic about this product," he said.
The active organism in pro-t-action is effectively dead, meaning it doesn't need to be kept cool — like yogurt — and can be used in a wide array of products like sugar-free candy, gum, toothpaste, and possibly beverages like smoothies. To be effective, the product needs to be in the mouth for about 10 to 15 seconds.
"This is not a replacement" for brushing, said Markus Pompejus, a BASF scientist who helped develop the product. "But it clearly helps to improve your daily oral hygiene."
BASF developed pro-t-action with OrganoBalance, a Berlin-based microbiology company.
The companies are mum on human testing — a necessary precursor before any commercial distribution. Still, BASF hopes to have pro-t-action on store shelves by 2010 or 2011.
The company's stock is traded on exchanges in London and Frankfurt, Germany.

Sweet, I hope this will work as they say.

 

[Dental Monst3r]

I'm somewhat skeptical on this. This sounds alot like Xylitol, which is a sweetener used to "help prevent tooth decay and strengthen teeth." Even though xylitol is still being used, it's not all that great and certainly does not replace brushing, flossing, dentist visits, etc...

This new product sounds great, but I doubt that it will cause any major (or minor) changes in dental hygiene.

 

[Epictetus21]

Yeah, there is already a way to almost entirely prevent decay: brushing and flossing daily. The people that don't brush or use mouthwash now still won't when this new chemical is added. It's a great breakthrough, but the problem is you have to get people to use it for it to work.

 

[EndangeredPasta]

Yeah, there is already a way to almost entirely prevent decay: brushing and flossing daily. The people that don't brush or use mouthwash now still won't when this new chemical is added. It's a great breakthrough, but the problem is you have to get people to use it for it to work.

Actually people that do brush/flosh/mouthwash "correctly" twice a day can still get cavities and it is common. It really just depends on the person. I really liked the whole candy idea.

 

[Astral87]

I wonder, after a prolonged period of time, won't the bacteria become immune to this new chemical? Thus rendering it useless?

 

[ChrisM07]

Actually people that do brush/flosh/mouthwash "correctly" twice a day can still get cavities and it is common. It really just depends on the person. I really liked the whole candy idea.

I managed to go 21 years without a cavity. A few months ago, I got my first 2 . It was quite devastating.

 

[Zubnaya Feya]

I managed to go 21 years without a cavity. A few months ago, I got my first 2 . It was quite devastating.

21 years without a cavity... You saved yourself a lot of money =)

 

[Epictetus21]

Actually people that do brush/flosh/mouthwash "correctly" twice a day can still get cavities and it is common. It really just depends on the person. I really liked the whole candy idea.

No, it doesn't just depend on the person. It depends on your oral hygeine habits. Ask any dentist that you shadow. Cavities are the result of Strep Mutans depositing the acid byproduct of their digestive cycle onto the tooth. In order for S. Mutans to secrete acid directly onto the tooth surface it first has to form a plaque pellicle. These pellicles are easily removed with the very slightest pressure from a brush and floss, and take a full 24 hours to re-form after having been disturbed. If you did a really good job of brushing, even once a day, plaques could not form on your teeth, and the acid produced by the bacteria would be neutralized by the bicarbonate buffer in your saliva, meaning no decay.

 

[EndangeredPasta]

No, it doesn't just depend on the person. It depends on your oral hygeine habits. Ask any dentist that you shadow. Cavities are the result of Strep Mutans depositing the acid byproduct of their digestive cycle onto the tooth. In order for S. Mutans to secrete acid directly onto the tooth surface it first has to form a plaque pellicle. These pellicles are easily removed with the very slightest pressure from a brush and floss, and take a full 24 hours to re-form after having been disturbed. If you did a really good job of brushing, even once a day, plaques could not form on your teeth, and the acid produced by the bacteria would be neutralized by the bicarbonate buffer in your saliva, meaning no decay.

Your response made me chuckle...there could have been a little bit of giggle as well.

 

[BillytheEchidna]

Your response made me chuckle...there could have been a little bit of giggle as well.

Me too! None of us has learned about plaque properly yet, but I support what you're saying, EndangeredPasta -- some people are genetically predisposed to have teeth that are especially vulnerable to attack. Structurally, perhaps? I know people that floss every day and still manage to get cavities, usually along the gumline. Also, there is still a lot that scientists don't know about biofilms.

I only have three wisdom teeth, as did my sister. Is that a figment of my imagination, because everybody knows that humans have 32 teeth?

 

[Contach]

some people are genetically predisposed to have teeth that are especially vulnerable to attack. Structurally, perhaps?

Yeah, this is what my dentist said too.

 

[karrotcake]

Interesting article! My first thought was of xylitol too until I read it was a microorganism. I'm curious what it's called (I don't recall seeing it in the article.)

Another reason some people are more prone to cavities is partly because of genetics too, despite their constant brushing and flossing.

And this might be a stupid question but what are biofilms?

 

[jay47]

First of all, TAKE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR ON FOX NEWS with a grain of salt. If you watch them enough (with an open and unbiased mind) you'll see what I am talking about.

Secondly, I've went 22 years without a cavity. Part of this is genetics as I have good dental genetics, but another part of this is oral hygeine.

To comment on what epictetus said, oral hygiene is the number one factor in determining decay, cavities, etc...BUT I'd imagine that no matter what everyone does, you can still get cavities. The teeth are filled with small areas where microorganisms can collect and cause decay. It is possible your physical tooth anatomy prevents you from even brushing or flossing there, thus leading to decay and cavities (as well as overenthusiastic dentists "seeing" cavities on everyone's xrays). Your statement, "if you did a really good job of brushing...plaques could not form" is not completely comprehensive. A "really good job of brushing and flossing" still may not be perfect, especially if you have an abnormal tooth anatomy.

Here's more on the subject...http://www.parkaveperio.com/faq/plaqcalc.htm

Oh, and no matter what BASF says, it will never eliminate cavities. The bacteria ALWAYS win.....they always win......

 

[blondiegurlkg]

Any time I read about researchers wanting to eliminate all these resident bacteria in the mouth that cause cavities, I wonder what the implications would be in a mouth with compromised resident bacteria populations. Strep mutans is supposed to be in your mouth, so maybe there will be unforseen problems for people who choose to use this product.

 

[yuppers]

I managed to go 21 years without a cavity. A few months ago, I got my first 2 . It was quite devastating.

I bet you were alittle embarrassed.... but you shouldnt be because people can have grooves in their teeth that are a fraction of the width of one tooth bristle (as in picture). So it is a cavity waiting happen.

source of picture: http://www.smilespecialists.com/preventivedentistry/index.html

 

[yuppers]

First of all, TAKE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR ON FOX NEWS with a grain of salt. If you watch them enough (with an open and unbiased mind) you'll see what I am talking about.

Yeah, ok.... I guess I should watch CBS, NBC, or MSNBC because they are sooo unbiased. I watch foxnews (mainly Shep Smith and Billy O) because they present both sides and are not flaming liberals...

 

[Lurchdubious]

Yeah, there is already a way to almost entirely prevent decay: brushing and flossing daily. The people that don't brush or use mouthwash now still won't when this new chemical is added. It's a great breakthrough, but the problem is you have to get people to use it for it to work.

I agree. You might do a few less "drill & fill's" in your practice in a few years, but there will still be a multitude of other procedures that patient's need.

And no, it's NOT just about brushing and flossing. A lot depends on tooth structure/anatomy. That being said, I just turned 28 and have never had a cavity

(knocking on wood, right now...)

 

[bucknut2009]

Yeah, ok.... I guess I should watch CBS, NBC, or MSNBC because they are sooo unbiased. I watch foxnews (mainly Shep Smith and Billy O) because they present both sides and are not flaming liberals...

lol Bill O'Reilly

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tJjNVVwRCY[/YOUTUBE]

 

[dr.rex]

Many people forget that acidic insults to enamel can also come other sources besides bacterial byproducts. Altering the pH of the oral environment frequently will cause dissolution of enamel. So patient habits are something are that will have a large affect on caries formation and is something that will never change and will always keep dentists knee deep in operative.

As for the comment on the pellicle and plaque they are 2 different things. From my understanding the pellicle is a thin film that almost instantaneously forms on the teeth after cleansing and evolve with time to form plaque with a constantly altering microbial environment that will eventually become pathogenic.

 

[UCLAzy]

lol Bill O'Reilly

haha nice

 

[cpc728]

Me too! None of us has learned about plaque properly yet, but I support what you're saying, EndangeredPasta -- some people are genetically predisposed to have teeth that are especially vulnerable to attack. Structurally, perhaps? I know people that floss every day and still manage to get cavities, usually along the gumline. Also, there is still a lot that scientists don't know about biofilms.

I only have three wisdom teeth, as did my sister. Is that a figment of my imagination, because everybody knows that humans have 32 teeth?

Actually, flossing doesn't prevent caries....it is however effective in preventing gingivitis. There was a study done on this topic couple of years back.

 

[grayzkule]

The composition of teeth is the same in everyone and the concept of "soft teeth" is just a myth. According to the dentist I shadowed, people's saliva is a main factor in the amount of tooth decay they get, and is even more important than oral hygiene (not that you have control over your saliva's pH). Saliva is slightly alkaline and is important in neutralizing acids formed from the metabolism of sugars by bacteria in your mouth. Neutralize the acids and they won't attack your teeth!

 

[NyCzPeter]

I wonder, after a prolonged period of time, won't the bacteria become immune to this new chemical? Thus rendering it useless?

totally man. Bacterial resistance ftw. Evolution >> everything

 

[yuppers]

I wonder, after a prolonged period of time, won't the bacteria become immune to this new chemical? Thus rendering it useless?

It also makes me wonder how this chemical will effect the bacteria in our colon.

 

[yuppers]

lol Bill O'Reilly

[youtube]2tJjNVVwRCY[/youtube]

Didnt know Billy could get sooo scary?

 

[aphistis]

I love when people tell me about the "soft teeth" they inherited from their parents. I rarely have the heart to tell them that the only thing they inherited from their parents was the family toothbrush allergy.

 

[Lurchdubious]

Didnt know Billy could get sooo scary?

That was by far the funniest thing I've seen all day. That was awesome.

 

[BillytheEchidna]

And this might be a stupid question but what are biofilms?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofilm

Of course Wikipedia is not the grand poobah of information sources, but it's the most accessible!
"Dental plaque

Dental plaque is the material that adheres to the teeth and consists of bacterial cells (mainly Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguis), salivary polymers and bacterial extracellular products. Plaque is a biofilm on the surfaces of the teeth. This accumulation of microorganisms subject the teeth and gingival tissues to high concentrations of bacterial metabolites which results in dental disease.[13]..."


A biofilm can only be removed by mechanical means (brushing and flossing), not chemical means.

That clip of Bill O'Reilly getting O'riled up was hilarious!

 

[jay47]

Yeah, ok.... I guess I should watch CBS, NBC, or MSNBC because they are sooo unbiased. I watch foxnews (mainly Shep Smith and Billy O) because they present both sides and are not flaming liberals...

I wasn't implying that they weren't biased, but not to the degree that Fox news is.

Billy O is alright, he does a fairly good job at seeing both sides of the story, but I cannot stand the fact that he yells over everyone who comes on his show and constantly uses sarcastic overtones at "the liberal media". I saw him make that rant live and it pissed me off.

I do like Shep Smith though. He is my fav on Fox.

My favorite show is Larry King. I don't think he can be beat.

My biggest peev with FNC is that they always are shoving that "Fair and balanced' bs down your throat, and it isn't true. They have a clear conservative bias, just as MSNBC, NBC, and CNN have a clear, yet lessering degree, of liberal bias.