When you think about diseases that could be wiped out forever, you probably aren’t thinking about cavities. After all, isn’t it inevitable that bacteria are going to flourish in your mouth? While it is true that your oral cavity is the home of over 100 trillion microbes, only 0.1% of these are the harmful s. mutans bacteria that is largely responsible for tooth decay, while the rest are potentially beneficial.
With this in mind, a group in UCLA developed a “smart bomb” mouthwash that targets s. mutans while leaving other microbes intact. Patients who tested this wash saw their tooth-rotting microbes entirely wiped out, and didn’t experience a resurgence for the duration of the study. Though such a product has not yet been approved for commercial use, you could very well look forward to a future free of tooth rot.
Until such a time, remember to stay on top of your regular brushing and rinsing, and visit our Lynnwood dentist at least every six months.
